SURVIVAL RESPONSE OF MALIGNANT GLIOMAS TO RADIOTHERAPY WITH OR WITHOUT BCNU OR METHYL-CCNU CHEMOTHERAPY AT THE UNIVERSITY-OF-KENTUCKY MEDICAL-CENTER

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 65  (1-2) , 45-51
Abstract
A total of 115 patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 therapeutic groups within 3 wk from craniotomy as part of the Brain Tumor Study Group protocols. In category A (surgery without radiotherapy) there was no significant difference in survival between supportive care only and chemotherapy (BCNU [1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea] or methyl-CCNU [1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1-nitrosourea]) groups. More than 1/2 of patients in this category died within 6 mo. of surgery. In category B the addition of 6000 rad of whole-brain radiation treatment to the surgery increased survival time significantly; the 6 mo. survival rate was 2 to 3 times that observed in category A. More than 50% of patients were alive at 1 yr and at least 20% survived 2 yr. The best survival rate in this study was obtained in patients who received methyl-CCNU with irradiation. The duration of survival was increased to nearly 2 times that of the radiotherapy group and to 6 times that of the surgery only group. Reasons for this are discussed.

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