Glioblastoma: Survival Data and Overall Descriptive Statistics
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and most common adult primary malignant brain tumor. It affects approximately 3.2 per 100,000 people in the US. For my project, I focused on patients’ overall survival as a result of the most common mutations. To investigate the relationship between these mutations and overall survival, I analyzed records from the hospital University of Pennsylvania. This data ranged from the year 2012 to 2020 and contained over 600 patients. Using Graphpad, a statistical software program, I would plot comparisons between types of populations to determine whether each population had a statistically significant difference. Studying these mutations provides valuable insight into designing clinical trials for therapies in GBM, thus providing us with the best opportunity towards working towards a potential cure for GBM. Through this research experience, I gained valuable insight into how to use statistical software programs like Graphpad, excel, and how to make thorough presentations. I also learned how to confidently present in front of our whole research team on a weekly basis. Moreover, I had to manage my time as I took summer classes, a job, and this internship. I believe the most important lesson I will carry throughout my career at Penn is the value of mentorship. Moving forward, I will work hard to build relationships with my mentors, teachers, and peers. I would like to once again thank PURM for this opportunity, Zev Binder for his mentorship and for always answering my questions, and Donald O’Rourke for the chance to work in his lab.
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Question
Great poster! Were all of the data points used at the same stage at diagnosis or was the data adjusted to account for cancer stage? Also, was there any difference in survival rates by population demographics?