title: Initial and maintenance combination treatment with interferon-beta, MCNU (Ranimustine), and radiotherapy for patients with previously untreated malignant glioma.
abstract: Combined treatment with interferon-beta, MCNU (Ranimustine), and radiotherapy was assessed in patients with malignant glioma who had not received previous cytotoxic drug therapy. Forty-three patients up to 75 years old with histopathologically confirmed malignant glioma were studied. All patients had tumors measurable by neuroimaging, a Karnofsky performance score exceeding 40, and an expected survival exceeding 2 months. A response rate of 49% (21/45) was observed, including 6 complete remissions (14%) and 15 partial remissions (35%). Of the 43 patients who completed initial therapy, 19 were given sequential maintenance therapy. Survival time was much longer with than without maintenance therapy. Toxic side effects were moderate and did not substantially affect patients' general condition. We concluded that this combination therapy had a pronounced effect on untreated malignant glioma, particularly in patients whose initial therapy was followed up with maintenance therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Clinical Laboratory, Nagoya University Hospital, Japan. wakabat@tsuru.med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wakabayashi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hatano
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kajita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagasaka
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D009607:Nitrosourea Compounds; D016899:Interferon-beta; C020766:ranimustine