title: Response of recurrent glioblastoma and anaplastic astrocytoma to dibromodulcitol, BCNU and procarbazine--a phase-II study.
abstract: Twenty six (17 males) patients with glioblastoma (GBL), median age 55 years, median Karnofsky Index (KI) 70/100, and 11 patients (9 males) with anaplastic astrocytoma (AA), median age 56 years, median KI 70/100 were treated at recurrence with dibromodulcitol (DBD) 1400 mg/m2 on day 1, BCNU 150 mg/m2 on day 2, and procarbazine (PCZ) 150 mg/day on days 1 to 15. The course was repeated every 4 weeks, but was delayed or decreased by 25% according to hematological toxicity. Response to treatment was evaluated by the criteria of MacDonald et al. (J Clin Oncol 1990; 8: 1277-1280). All GBL-patients were followed until death. One patient with complete response (CR) survived one year, and 2 patients with partial response (PR) survived 1 and 3 years. Ten patients who stabilized (SD) survived 7.5 months, and 13 patients who progressed under chemotherapy had a median survival of 3.5 months. In AA-group 3 patients were alive at the time of the analyses. Six patients: 1 CR and 5 PR survived 6 to 40+ months. Two patients with SD survived 4 and 14 months. Three patients with progressive disease had a mean survived of less than 3 months. The response rate of 55% in AA was significantly higher (p = 0.011) than the 12% response rate seen in GBL. We conclude that the regimen tested appears particularly promising in AA. The results in GBL are comparable to those obtained with a single nitrosourea, despite an increased but reversible toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurologie, Hôpital Erasme, ULB, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hildebrand
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: De Witte
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sahmoud
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002330:Carmustine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008936:Mitolactol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D011344:Procarbazine; D008936:Mitolactol; D002330:Carmustine