Glioblastoma: is there any blood biomarker with true clinical relevance?

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent malignant primary brain tumor in adults, characterized by a highly aggressive, inflammatory and angiogenic phenotype. It is a remarkably heterogeneous tumor at several levels, including histopathologically, radiographically and genetically. The 2016 update of the WHO Classification of Tumours of the Central Nervous System highlighted molecular parameters as paramount features for the diagnosis, namely <i>IDH1/2</i> mutations that distinguish primary and secondary GBM. An ideal biomarker is a molecule that can be detected/quantified through simple non- or minimally invasive methods with the potential to assess cancer risk; promote early diagnosis; increase grading accuracy; and monitor disease evolution and treatment response, as well as fundamentally being restricted to one aspect. Blood-based biomarkers are particularly attractive due to their easy access and have been widely used for various cancer types. A number of serum biomarkers with multiple utilities for glioma have been reported that could classify glioma grades more precisely and provide prognostic value among these patients. At present, screening for gliomas has no clinical relevance. This is because of the low incidence, the lack of sensitive biomarkers in plasma, and the observation that gliomas may develop apparently de novo within few weeks or months. To the best of our knowledge, there is no routine use of a serum biomarker for clinical follow-up. The purpose of this paper is to review the serum biomarkers described in the literature related to glioblastoma and their possible relationship with clinical features.