The Descriptive and Analytical Epidemiology of Glioblastoma Worldwide: an Informative Science Review

Abstract

This descriptive narrative review demonstrates state-of-the-art epidemiological research in glioblastoma (GB). We discussed the case number and deaths worldwide and the intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors (RF) in cancer analytical epidemiology. GB is the most common glioma, with increased cases in recent decades. Despite much research in the last decades, GB is a disease with a poor survival prognosis. The difference in the amount of data between developed and other countries is notable, as shown in our review. Many intrinsic and extrinsic RF have been studied for GB in recent years, resulting in few conclusions, with cases being more common in older, white, and male patients. In contrast to other review articles, which include more than one neuro-oncological disease, this paper concentrates on GB epidemiological data, including neglected countries. Moreover, we demonstrate and discuss GB’s most recent molecular classification for discovering new molecular markers for prognosis and treatment. More studies are needed to understand extrinsic RF and elucidate contradictory results from the literature. While highlighting the differences between developed and in-development countries, this review can provide grounds for future research in neglected regions, helping improve the quality of living in GB patients.