• Bardia Hajikarimloo, Farzan Fahim, Mohammadamin Sabbagh Alvani, Sayeh Oveisi, Alireza Zali, Hamid Anvari, and Saeed Oraee-Yazdani.
• Functional Neurosurgery Research Center, Shohada Tajrish Comprehensive Neurosurgical Center of Excellence, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
• World Neurosurg. 2023 Oct 1; 178: 879287-92.

BackgroundPatients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and other patients with cancer are at a greater risk of developing severe complications as a result of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Therefore, it is crucial to adjust therapeutic approaches to reduce exposure and complications and achieve the most appropriate treatment outcomes.ObjectiveOur goal was to help physicians to make decisions based on the latest data in the literature.MethodWe provide a comprehensive review of the literature on the current issues of GBM and COVID-19 infection.ResultsThe mortality of patients with diffuse glioma as a result of COVID-19 infection was 39%, which is higher than in the general population. The statistics showed that 84.5% of patients with diagnosed brain cancer (mostly GBM) and 89.9% of their caregivers received COVID-19 vaccines. The decision to apply different therapeutic approaches must be made individually based on age, tumor grade, molecular profile, and performance status. The advantages and disadvantages of adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy after the surgery should be evaluated carefully. In the setting of the follow-up period, special considerations must be considered to minimize COVID-19 exposure.ConclusionsThe pandemic altered medical approaches worldwide, and the management of patients in an immunocompromised state, such as patients with GBM, is challenging; therefore, special considerations must be considered.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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