Recurrence pattern in glioblastoma multiforme patients treated with anti-angiogenic chemotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
Glioblastoma multiforme is the prototype of an angiogenic tumour. Under experimental conditions, anti-angiogenic therapy strategies lead to an increased invasion. Here we report on the pattern of tumour recurrence in glioblastoma patients treated with an anti-angiogenic chemotherapy.


METHODS
A total of 32 patients with glioblastoma multiforme and a residual tumour mass after operation were treated with a continuous low-dose chemotherapy with temozolomide and a COX-II inhibitor, a presumably anti-angiogenic therapy.


RESULTS
While anti-tumour activity of this therapy regimen was excellent with a mean overall time to progression of 10.4 (+/-0.9) months and a mean overall survival of 17.8 (+/-1.5) months, an unusually high rate of distant recurrences was observed (62.5%).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients treated with an anti-angiogenic chemotherapy experience distant recurrences at a higher rate than reported for conventional therapies. This may reflect an anti-angiogenic therapy-induced activation of glioma invasion confirming similar recently published experimental results.
Tuettenberg
Jochen
J
Department of Neurosurgery, Universitätsmedizin Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, 68167 Mannheim, Germany. jochen.tuettenberg@nch.ma.uni-heidelberg.de
Grobholz
Rainer
R
Seiz
Marcel
M
Brockmann
Marc A
MA
Lohr
Frank
F
Wenz
Frederik
F
Vajkoczy
Peter
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors