title: A multicenter retrospective study of chemotherapy for recurrent intracranial ependymal tumors in adults by the Gruppo Italiano Cooperativo di Neuro-Oncologia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  No data on the role of chemotherapy in recurrent ependymal tumors are available in adults. The aim of the current study was to investigate outcomes after salvage chemotherapy in this setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was made of the charts of 28 adults (> or = 18 years) with progressive or recurrent ependymal tumors after surgery and radiotherapy, who received chemotherapy between 1993 and 2003 in 3 institutions of the Gruppo Italiano Cooperativo di Neuro-Oncologia network.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen patients (46.3%) received cisplatin-based chemotherapy (Group A) and 15 (53.7%) received regimens without cisplatin (Group B). Platinum-based chemotherapy yielded 2 complete responses (CR) (15.4%) and 2 (15.4%) partial responses (PR), whereas 7 patients (53.8%) remained stable (SD). After regimens without cisplatin, there were no CR, 2 PR (13.3%), and 11 SD (73.3%). The overall median time to progression was 9.9 months (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 7.5-21.7 months), 9.9 months (5.2-not reached) for Group A and 10.9 months (95% CI, 7.17-23.9 months) for Group B. The overall median survival (OS) was 40.7 months (95% CI, 16-not reached), 31 months (21-not reached) for Group A and 40.7 months (13.4-not reached) for Group B.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cisplatin-based chemotherapy achieved a higher response rate, but did not prolong disease progression-free survival or OS. More active regimens for the salvage treatment of ependymal tumors have yet to be found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Azienda Ospedale-Università of Padova, Padova, Italy. aabrandes@unipd.it
authors.forename: Alba A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Brandes
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cavallo
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reni
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tosoni
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nicolardi
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scopece
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Franceschi
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sotti
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Talacchi
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Turazzi
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ermani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004806:Ependymoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy