title: Chemotherapy with the "8 in 1" protocol for malignant brain tumors in children: a population-based study in Finland.
abstract: We evaluated the outcome of 68 children with malignant brain tumors treated with the "8 in 1" chemotherapy protocol in Finland from 1986 to 1993, comparing 5-year survival rates with those for a historical control group (from 1975 to 1985). For all malignant brain tumors, overall survival was 43% (vs 28% in the control group; P <0.05), and progression-free survival (PFS) was 43% (vs 23%; P <0.05). For medulloblastoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumor, survival was 63% (vs 35%; P <0.05), and the corresponding PFS was 59% (vs 35%; P = 0.15). For high-grade glioma, both the survival rate and the PFS were 27% (vs 17%; P = NS). Thus the outcome was significantly better for our "8 in 1" -treated patients than for the historical controls, especially among the children with primitive neuroectodermal tumor and medulloblastoma. In contrast, those with high-grade gliomas and brain stem tumors seem to have received little benefit; different, more effective treatments are needed for these patients.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ilveskoski
authors.forename: U M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Saarinen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perkkiö
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Salmi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lanning
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mäkipernaa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sankila
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pihko
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005910:Glioma / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D015996:Survival Rate