title: Treatment of low-grade diffuse astrocytomas by surgery and human fibroblast interferon without radiation therapy.
abstract: Low-grade diffuse astrocytomas are slowly growing tumors with a relatively long overall survival. However, a substantial proportion undergoes dedifferentiation to a more malignant phenotype. Considerable controversy exists as to the best therapeutic management for patients with such tumors. Over the past decade, we have applied human fibroblast interferon (HFIF) therapy without radiation therapy to low-grade astrocytomas. We investigated 28 patients with WHO grade II astrocytomas of the cerebral hemispheres treated by surgery plus HFIF therapy. The overall response rate to the HFIF therapy was 36%. All side-effects of HFIF were transient, tolerable and manageable. The 5-year progression free survival and overall survival probabilities were 65% and 96%, respectively. Although our data from small cohort of patients may have modest value, our results suggest that HFIF may be useful in treating low-grade diffuse astrocytomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. takao@med.nihon-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Atsuo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshino
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Komine
authors.forename: Takakazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukushima
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D020714:Maximum Tolerated Dose; D008875:Middle Aged; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016899:Interferon-beta