Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41896503›Full record

SynthesisActa neurochirurgica2026

Global economic differences in modern glioblastoma care - a systematic review.

Reuben Christopher, Livia Stauner, Mathias Spendel, Arwin Rezai, Alexander Romagna, Christoph Schwartz

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Acta neurochirurgica, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Reuben ChristopherDepartment of Neurosurgery, Munich Klinik, Munich, Germany.
Livia StaunerDepartment of Neurosurgery, Munich Klinik, Munich, Germany.
Mathias SpendelInstitute of Radiation Oncology, General Hospital Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria.
Arwin RezaiDepartment of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
Alexander RomagnaDepartment of Neurosurgery, Munich Klinik, Munich, Germany.
Christoph SchwartzDepartment of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria. christoph.schwartz@tirol-kliniken.at.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeGlioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive form of primary brain cancer and is associated with poor overall survival and expensive, resource intensive treatments. We performed a systematic literature review to quantify the costs and cost-effectiveness of modern glioblastoma care across global healthcare systems.

methodsA comprehensive literature search on PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines using the search string (Glioblastoma OR GBM) AND (costs OR cost-effectiveness OR economic burden) identified 21 studies eligible for our research question. Costs were reviewed for all treatment modalities of the current Stupp protocol. After considering the current consumer price indexes and purchasing power parities, these were then standardized to the value of US Dollars ($) in 2024.

resultsA total of 15,547 real world GBM patients were analyzed. Direct medical costs displayed extreme heterogeneity, ranging from cumulative costs of $356,481 in the United States to approximately $18,908 in India. The Stupp protocol exceeded willingness-to-pay thresholds in middle income economies. Economic evaluations of Tumor treating fields revealed Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratios (ICER) ranging from $862,361.37 to $940,344.39 per Life Year Gained (LYG) in France to $252,590.08 per LYG in the United States, and a more favorable per Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) of $45,813.91 in China.

conclusionThe cost of modern GBM treatment varies greatly between the analyzed countries with adjuvant treatment and inpatient care being the most important cost drivers in western countries in the direct medical costs analyses. Cost models show that the Stupp protocol remains a significant financial burden in resource-limited settings, underlining the cost-effectiveness of surgery in modern GBM management. There is, however, a need for uniform cost reporting to correctly assess cost-effectiveness across global healthcare systems.

Indexed as

Brain NeoplasmsCost-Benefit AnalysisGlioblastomaHealth Care CostsCost-Effectiveness AnalysisGlobal HealthHumansCosts and cost-effectivenessGlioblastomaIncremental cost-effectiveness ratioLife year gainedQuality adjusted life year

Identifiers

PMID41896503
PMCPMC13032984

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.