title: Cisplatin and BCNU chemotherapy for anaplastic oligoastrocytomas.
abstract: In this study 32 newly diagnosed anaplastic oligoastrocytoma patients were enrolled (median age of 41 years, range 19-63; median Karnofsky performance status of 90, range 70-100). All patients were treated with Cisplatin (109 mg/m2) and BCNU (160 mg/m2). The chemotherapy started in the first week after surgery and it was administered every 6 weeks (5 scheduled cycles) for a total of 127 cycles. After the second cycle of chemotherapy all patients received radiotherapy (56.5 Gy). The median follow-up was 63.2 months (10-91). Nine patients were reoperated-on. The median time to tumor progression (TTP) and median survival time (ST) for the whole group of patients were 54.6 and 70.1 months, respectively. A proportional hazard model was used to look at potential prognostic factors for survival including lower age (< 40 years), extent of surgery (total/subtotal versus partial) and reoperation. When we analyzed the group of patients with total/subtotal surgery or age under 40 years the median ST could not be assessed due to the high number of surviving patients after a follow-up of 52 months. The median ST for the older patients or for patients partially operated-on was 54.1 and 42.2 months. In our study only total/subtotal surgery predicted for longer survival (p < 0.001). This schedule of treatment provides durable response in a selected group of anaplastic oligoastrocytoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Nazionale Neurologico Carlo Besta Milan, Italy. boiardi@istituto-besta.it
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boiardi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eoli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salmaggi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pollo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Milanesi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Broggi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Silvani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D002330:Carmustine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012086:Reoperation; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D002945:Cisplatin; D002330:Carmustine