A Retrospective Study on Prognostic Factors and Systemic Treatments of Refractory Meningiomas

Standard systemic treatment has not been established for refractory meningioma. This retrospective study aimed to identify prognostic factors for overall survival and document outcomes of systemic therapies. We reviewed patients with meningioma followed at CHUM hospital between 2006 and 2022. Only patients with progression after first-line treatment were included. Among 750 patients, 107 (14%) experienced progression after first-line treatment. They were divided into two groups: Group 1 (<i>n</i> = 69, 64%) received salvage local treatments, and Group 2 (<i>n</i> = 38, 36%) received additional salvage systemic treatments. The median follow-up time from diagnosis was 7.5 years. 10-year OS was 88.3% (Group 1) vs. 67.2% (Group 2) (<i>p</i> = 0.009). Mean survival after stopping systemic treatment was 8.94 months. Key prognostic factors for poorer survival included age ≥ 65 (HR = 2.82; <i>p</i> = 0.009), WHO grade 2 or 3 (HR = 4.25; <i>p</i> = 0.004), and progression after second-line treatment (HR = 4.77; <i>p</i> = 0.004). Bevacizumab was associated with a mPFS of 12 months and 1-year OS of 64,6%, whereas non-Bevacizumab treatments-including Hydroxyurea, Somatostatin, and Sunitinib-were associated with a mPFS of 7 months and 1-year OS of 52,6%. This study highlights the fatal nature of recurrent meningiomas and the urgent need for systemic treatments that can improve their survival.