European Journal of Cancer
Volume 42, Issue 5 , Pages 582-588, March 2006

Recent developments in the use of chemotherapy in brain tumours

  • Martin J. van den Bent

      Affiliations

    • Department of Neuro-Oncology, Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center/Erasmus University Hospital Rotterdam, P.O. Box 5201, 3008AE Rotterdam, The Netherlands
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author: Tel.: +31 10 4391415; fax: +31 10 4391031.
    • ,
  • Monika E. Hegi

      Affiliations

    • Laboratory of Tumour Biology and Genetics, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Lausanne Hospitals, Lausanne, Switzerland
    • ,
  • Roger Stupp

      Affiliations

    • Multidisciplinary Oncology Center, University of Lausanne Hospitals, Lausanne, Switzerland

Received 27 June 2005; accepted 29 June 2005.

Abstract 

Several recent studies have further clarified the role of chemotherapy in newly diagnosed anaplastic glioma. For newly diagnosed glioblastoma, combined daily radiotherapy with daily temozolomide followed by six cycles of adjuvant temozolomide improves overall survival. This benefit is especially observed in patients with a methylated promotor of the MGMT gene which encodes an alkyltransferase; this observation however, needs confirmation. Although oligodendroglial tumours are sensitive to chemotherapy, classical adjuvant nitrosourea-based chemotherapy does not improve overall survival in newly diagnosed anaplastic oligodendroglioma, even in the subset of 1p/19q loss tumours. It may increase progression-free survival however, and further studies must show if combined modality treatment with daily chemotherapy during radiotherapy increases survival. Trials exploring the role of chemotherapy in low-grade glioma are ongoing. No standard chemotherapy is currently available for highly anaplastic glioma failing first-line temozolomide-based therapy.

Keywords: Glioblastoma, Oligodendroglioma, Anaplastic glioma, Temozolomide, Radiotherapy, PCV, MGMT

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PII: S0959-8049(05)01080-4

doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2005.06.031

European Journal of Cancer
Volume 42, Issue 5 , Pages 582-588, March 2006

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