Procarbazine and CCNU as initial treatment in gliomatosis cerebri.
BACKGROUND
Gliomatosis cerebri (GC) is a diffuse infiltrating glial tumor with involvement of at least 3 cerebral lobes. There are only few data on the efficacy of initial chemotherapy in patients with GC.


METHODS
In 3 neurooncological centers, patients with newly diagnosed GC who had received procarbazine (60 mg/m(2), days 8-21/56) and CCNU (110 mg/m(2), day 1/56) chemotherapy (PC) as initial treatment were analyzed for progression-free survival, overall survival and toxicity.


RESULTS
Twelve patients (median age 46 years, range 27-72) were analyzed. The median progression-free survival and the median overall survival were 16 and 37 months. Grade 3 or 4 hematotoxicity was observed in 3 of 12 patients (25%).


CONCLUSIONS
These data support the efficacy of PC chemotherapy in newly diagnosed GC. Initial PC chemotherapy should be considered as a treatment option and evaluated in larger clinical trials.
Department of Neurology, Division of Clinical Neurooncology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany. martin.glas@ukb.uni-bonn.de
Martin
M
Glas
Katja
K
Rasch
Dorothee
D
Wiewrodt
Michael
M
Weller
Ulrich
U
Herrlinger
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008130:Lomustine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018302:Neoplasms, Neuroepithelial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011344:Procarbazine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D011344:Procarbazine; D008130:Lomustine