June 2026

ONCOLOGY

NORTHWESTERN MEDICINE RESEARCH SHOWS MULTIDISCIPLINARY TREATMENT IMPROVES SURVIVAL AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OLDER PATIENTS WITH BRAIN CANCER

Featuring: Osaama Khan, MD, and ​Robin Buerki, MD
Northwestern Medicine researchers have published new findings that challenge long-held assumptions about treating older adults diagnosed with glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer. The study, published in March in the Journal of Neuro-Oncology, demonstrates that elderly patients who undergo aggressive, multidisciplinary treatment can experience meaningful survival and maintain quality of life.

​The research, led by Osaama Khan, MD, a neurosurgeon and director of the Brain Tumor Program, examined outcomes for elderly patients treated with surgical resection followed by standard radiation and chemotherapy. Unlike previous studies that recommended less intensive therapies for older adults, this study found that appropriately selected patients not only lived longer but also continued to function well throughout their treatment journey.

“What was most compelling about this research is that we were able to show older patients did very well with surgery and standard therapies, not just in terms of survival, but in maintaining their quality of life,” says Dr. Khan. “For many years, elderly patients were offered shortened treatment courses or biopsies alone. Our data show that age alone should not determine how aggressively we treat glioblastoma.”

The study reflects more than a decade of clinical experience at Northwestern Medicine and highlights the importance of a team-based approach that combines neurosurgery, medical oncology and radiation oncology.

Dave Mason, 86, of DeKalb, Illinois, is among the patients whose treatment course aligns with the study’s findings. Mason underwent surgery at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in August 2022 after experiencing sudden changes in speech and cognition. He was diagnosed with glioblastoma and proceeded with surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiation.

Today, nearly four years later, Mason’s outcome far exceeds typical survival expectations for glioblastoma patients.

“Dave has done amazing and has had an incredible course,” says Robin Buerki, MD, a Northwestern Medicine neuro-oncologist who helps oversee Mason’s ongoing care. “He has exceeded expectations.”

Dr. Buerki emphasized that access to comprehensive treatment plays a key role in outcomes like Mason’s. “Part of the reason he is doing so well is because we gave him the opportunity and the benefit of treatment,” Dr. Buerki says. “This research from the Northwestern Medicine team shows that we can improve outcomes and have good outcomes with older patients. I want patients and families to know there is a lot of hope, and that past statistics do not always reflect how our patients are doing today.”

“This research reflects exactly what we see in patients like Dave,” Dr. Khan says. “His progress is a result of comprehensive care where surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are coordinated and centered on the patient. When we work as a team, patients do better.”

The study also places emphasis on measuring patient function and well-being throughout treatment, rather than focusing solely on survival benchmarks. Researchers evaluated how patients performed in routine clinical assessments to better understand the day-to-day impact of aggressive treatment.

“That is really what makes this work stand out,” Dr. Khan says. “We looked closely at how patients were actually doing during their survival. Staying functional and engaged in life matters just as much as living longer.”

Northwestern Medicine leaders say these findings may help shift how glioblastoma is treated in older adults nationwide and reinforce the health system’s commitment to personalized, evidence-based care.

This story was originally published on Northwestern Newsroom on June 30, 2026.
Osaama H. Khan, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, was corresponding author of the study published in the Journal of Neuro-Oncology.
Robin Buerki, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurology (Neuro-oncology)

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