How can developing countries improve survival rates of glioma patients

Background: Gliomas represent one of the most challenging brain malignancies with historically poor survival outcomes, particularly in developing countries where healthcare infrastructure limitations significantly impact patient care and treatment accessibility. Our objective is to identify evidence-based strategies that developing countries can implement to improve survival rates and clinical outcomes for glioma patients through systematic review of current literature and best practices.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted covering publications from 2000 to 2025, focusing on glioma management strategies, treatment protocols, and healthcare system improvements in resource-limited settings.

Results: Our analysis identified a multifaceted approach to improve glioma survival rates encompassing five key domains: (1) diagnostic and treatment infrastructure - expanding access to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, especially functional MRI) and computerized tomography (CT) imaging for early accurate diagnosis, establishing molecular pathology laboratories for isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation and 1p/19q co-deletion testing, and improving neurosurgical capacity through specialist training and advanced surgical equipment; (2) treatment protocol standardization - adopting global best practices such as National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines recommending maximal safe resection followed by chemoradiation, introducing targeted therapies including temozolomide and bevacizumab, and supporting clinical trials for emerging therapies; (3) research and data infrastructure - creating national glioma registries for outcome tracking and establishing academic partnerships with international research institutions; registries should be timely, accurate and complete to be useful for research and inform healthcare professional to make decision regarding which areas to channel the scares healthcare resources. (4) professional and public awareness - training general practitioners for early symptom recognition for example with continuous medical education courses and online webinars and implementing awareness campaigns to reduce stigma; (5) access and affordability - subsidizing treatment costs through public health programs and expanding telemedicine services for underserved populations.

Conclusions: Implementation of these integrated multidisciplinary strategies can significantly improve glioma outcomes in developing countries, enabling alignment with global treatment standards and ultimately enhancing patient survival rates through comprehensive healthcare system strengthening.

Dr. Yasmeen Idrees is a medical graduate of Fatima Jinnah Medical University Lahore, Pakistan. Following her graduation, she pursued postgraduate training in General Internal Medicine and completed MRCP (UK) as her postgraduate qualification. She is keen to explore research in medical field and collaborated with Professor Patricia Tai in Canada for the same.