The Kentucky Conference on Brain Tumor Chemotherapy

CCNU-chemotherapy of hemispheric supratentorial glioblastoma multiforme

One hundred and three patients with hemispheric supratentorial glioblastoma multiforme were studied. All patients were operated on and a histologic diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme was made. Patients were randomly placed in one of three treatment schedules within 3 weeks of surgery: Group A: combined radiation therapy and drug (CCNU) therapy (26 cases); Group B: CCNU given orally every 6-8 weeks (27 cases); Group C: standard radiation therapy alone (50 cases). All patients were periodically controlled by clinical and instrumental (EEG, scan, EMG, CAT) evaluations; laboratory data examinations were also frequently performed. The treatment results have been evaluated according to length of survival, social quality of life, and positive or negative response to chemotherapy. In our opinion the clinical findings are interesting but the statistical results are somewhat negative, especially when the groups of patients are not homogeneous.

Chemotherapy of malignant gliomas: comparison of the effect of polychemo- and CCNU-therapy

Postoperative survival times of patients suffering from glioblastoma (astrozytoma III-IV) were compared in unselected groups receiving different forms of therapy: standard surgical therapy (16 cases, mean survival time 6.27 +/- 3.75 months), postoperative polychemotherapy (16 patients, survival time 8.96 +/- 4.97 months) or postoperative CCNU-monotherapy (24 cases, survival time 6.98 +/- 4.46 months). The mean survival time in the group receiving polychemotherapy was prolonged significantly when compared to the group with standard treatment. Survival time of the patient group treated with CCNU was not significantly increased. The results indicate that postoperative combination chemotherapy is more effective than CCNU monotherapy.