Abstract
INTRODUCTION: We present a retrospective single centre study to determine whether delays in diagnosis in high grade glioma (HGG) impact on overall survival (OS). METHOD: Consecutive patients diagnosed with HGG at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, a single neuroscience centre in 2011 were reviewed. Route of referral and time from initial presentation to diagnosis were analysed and correlated with OS. RESULTS: 118 patients were studied, 92 had with glioblastoma (GBM). Diagnosis of GBM in patients presenting to emergency services was quicker than through outpatients (8 days vs 26 days, p < 0.0001), but these patients had significantly worse OS (181 days vs 386 days p = 0.0075 ). CONCLUSION: Earlier diagnosis is paradoxically associated with a worse OS in GBM. An “aggressive” phenotype with rapid symptomatic deterioration and hence emergency presentation is a poor prognostic factor not influenced by more rapid treatment or earlier diagnosis.