Topotecan treatment of adults with primary malignant glioma. The Brain Tumor Center at Duke.
BACKGROUND
Topotecan activity was evaluated for the treatment of malignant glioma.


METHODS
Sixty-three patients with newly diagnosed (n = 25) or recurrent (n = 38) malignant glioma were treated with topotecan [AU: Please verify all dosages here and throughout text.]at a dose of 2.6 mg/m2 over a 72-hour period weekly. Recurrent tumors included glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) (n = 28) and anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) (n = 10). Newly diagnosed tumors included GBM (n = 14), AA (n = 8), and anaplastic oligodendroglioma (n = 3).


RESULTS
Partial responses were observed in 2 of 14 evaluable patients with newly diagnosed GBM, 1 of 8 patients with newly diagnosed AA, 3 of 10 patients with recurrent AA, and none of 28 patients with recurrent GBM. Four patients with recurrent AA and 7 patients with recurrent GBM demonstrated stable disease (range, 8-52 weeks; median, 21 weeks). Toxicity was limited to infrequent National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria Grade 3 myelosuppression.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that topotecan has modest activity against malignant glioma and continued evaluation of its effectiveness may be warranted when alternative schedules or combination regimens are used.
Friedman
H S
HS
Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
Kerby
T
T
Fields
S
S
Zilisch
J E
JE
Graden
D
D
McLendon
R E
RE
Houghton
P J
PJ
Arbuck
S
S
Cokgor
I
I
Friedman
A H
AH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000188:drug therapy; D019772:Topotecan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019772:Topotecan