A comparison of intraarterial carboplatin and ACNU for the treatment of gliomas.
BACKGROUND
Intraarterial chemotherapy with carboplatin for malignant gliomas has been tried recently, but its therapeutic efficacy and toxicity have not yet been elucidated.


METHODS
We treated patients with malignant glioma by intraarterial chemotherapy using carboplatin, and compared the efficacy as well as the side effects with intraarterial ACNU.


RESULTS
Twenty patients were treated with carboplatin (300 mg/m2) and 22 patients were treated with ACNU (80-200 mg/m2). Response (complete remission+partial response) rate for carboplatin was 12.5% compared to 45% for ACNU. Despite higher response rate for ACNU, the difference in the survival curves of the two groups was not significant. Three patients who were treated with high dose (150-200 mg/m2) of ACNU developed hemiparesis and aphasia. Seven patients treated with carboplatin developed 10 incidences of neurotoxicities; two hemiparesis, one aphasia, one blindness, one visual field disturbance, three convulsions, and two developed incidences of disturbances of consciousness.


CONCLUSIONS
Intraarterial carboplatin was not superior to intraarterial ACNU in achieving remissions, and showed much greater tendency to produce neurotoxicities.
Fujiwara
T
T
Department of Neurological Surgery, Kagawa Medical School, Japan.
Matsumoto
Y
Y
Honma
Y
Y
Kuyama
H
H
Nagao
S
S
Ohkawa
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D004358:Drug Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005910:Glioma / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015376:Nimustine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015376:Nimustine; D016190:Carboplatin