title: Response to a phase II study of concomitant-to-sequential use of etoposide and radiation therapy in newly diagnosed malignant gliomas.
abstract: We evaluated the antitumor efficacy of and patient tolerance to a phase II study of concomitant-to-sequential use of etoposide and radiotherapy for newly diagnosed malignant gliomas. Fifty-two supratentorial malignant glioma patients were enrolled in this phase II study between May 1995 and May 1998. Standard cranial irradiation and six courses of etoposide (100 mg/m2 - xdays 1-3) were administered. The first course of etoposide was given on days 1 to 3 of radiotherapy and was resumed in the week following the end of radiotherapy. Treatment was consolidated by further courses of etoposide every 4 weeks. Fifty-one patients were assessable for toxicity, response, and survival. A complete surgical resection was only noted for 17 patients. Six patients had a confirmed complete response, and eight patients displayed a partial response. Six patients progressed within the first 3 months of starting treatment. The rate of objective response for assessable patients with residual tumor was 41.1%. Hematologic toxicity was mild; grade 3 or 4 neutropenia was noted in five patients, without sepsis. The overall median survival time (MST) was 12.5 months, and the mean survival of this population was 14.9 months. These results suggest a certain efficacy of this regimen testing a concomitant-to-sequential use of etoposide and radiotherapy for newly diagnosed malignant gliomas, and that continued evaluation of this combination is warranted, especially because this treatment is also well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Service de Neurochirurgie, CHU de Saint-Etienne, France. beauchesneP@wanadoo.fr
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beauchesne
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Soler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boniol
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schmitt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005047:Etoposide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015173:Supratentorial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D005047:Etoposide