title: Pre-irradiation chemotherapy for newly diagnosed high grade astrocytoma.
abstract: The purpose of this work was to determine the response rate and toxicity of a combination of Carmustine and Cisplatin administered before radiation in patients with newly diagnosed high grade astrocytoma. A good response rate has been published with this association in primary cerebral high grade tumor. This protocol was administered in a homogeneous population of 37 adult patients with measurable tumor on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or CT scan. After biopsy or subtotal resection, the patients received BCNU 40 mg/m2/d and CODP 40 mg/m2/d, for 3 days every 28 days for 3 cycles. Evaluation was performed before each cycle. Radiation therapy began 4 weeks after completing the chemotherapy or immediately if there was evidence of tumor progression on chemotherapy. Seven out of 37 (19%) demonstrated tumor regression with a median duration to progression of 11 months. Median survival was 6 months. Myelosuppression was the predominant but manageable toxicity. This work indicated that the first chemotherapy protocol gave poor results in a homogeneous group of patients, with bad prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology and Radiotherapy, CHU Dupuytren, 2 avenue Martin Luther King, 87042 Limoges Cedex, France. oncologie@chu-limoges.fr
authors.forename: N Tubiana
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Mathieu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Genet
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Labrousse
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bouillet
authors.forename: S Lavau
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Denes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Labourey
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Venat
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clavere
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Moreau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D002330:Carmustine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D002945:Cisplatin; D002330:Carmustine