[Clinical study on treatment of 40 cases of malignant brain tumor by elemene emulsion injection].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of elemene emulsion injection (EEI) in treating malignant brain tumor.


METHODS
By conducting a retrospective study of 40 patients with brain tumor, 29 of malignant glioma and 11 metastatic tumor, who were treated with EEI from January 1994 to May 1998. EEI 0.4-1.2 g/d was given to each patient by intravenous dripping or/and intravenous infusion by pumps, and directly injected into carotid artery or infused through a carotid artery catheter with pumps. The total dosage of 6-12 g was given in 2-6 therapeutic courses with an interval of 1-1.5 months between courses. The effectiveness of treatment was accessed according to the changes of tumor size, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) and survival time of patients. The control group consisted of 29 cases of malignant brain tumor (22 of primary and 7 of metastatic) was treated with chemotherapy 2-3 therapeutic courses with an interval of 1-1.5 months between them.


RESULTS
(1) In the EEI treated group the mean tumor size was changed from 6.70 cm3 (before treatment) to 2.67 cm3 (after treatment), t = 3.02, P < 0.01, it was reduced by 61%; (2) In the EEI treated group 4 cases was CR, 26 PR, the total effective rate being 75.0% (95% credibility interval +/- 13.4%), while in the control group, 2 of CR, 10 PR, and the total effective rate 41.4% (95% credibility interval +/- 17.9%), the difference between the two groups was significant, chi 2 = 3.867, P < 0.05; (3) KPS decreased in the EEI group from 94.7 scores (before treatment) to 88.2 scores (after treatment), the decrement was 6.5 scores (t = 3.5313, P < 0.01); (4) The survival time in the EEI treated group was 25.4 months, and that in the control group was 17.4 months (t = 3.74, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Elemene has significant effect on treatment of malignant brain tumor. It could prolong the high quality survival time of patients and is worthy of further investigation.
Tan
P
P
Department of Neurosurgery, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou (510120).
Zhong
W
W
Cai
W
W
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004655:Emulsions; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007261:Infusions, Intra-Arterial; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012717:Sesquiterpenes
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004655:Emulsions; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C038905:elemene