UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

INTRODUCTION: There has been a sharp increase in the incidence of Brain tumors due to rapid increase in the availability of diagnostic facilities in India. Surgery is the only definitive treatment for brain tumors. Chemotherapy was traditionally not widely used due to the inability of chemotherapeutic drugs to cross the blood brain barrier and their high toxicity. Newer drugs like Temozolomide have shown some promise and need further scientific evidence to establish them as standard of care.

Objective:To study the role of adjuvant treatment using radiotherapy and concurrent/adjuvant Temozolomide after surgery of patients with primary brain tumors and assess its effect on the QOL and disease progression

Methods:14 patients of high grade gliomas and recurrent gliomas were taken up in our study. The patients received EBRT and chemotherapy with Temozolomide 75 mg/m2, concurrent with radiation followed by 3 more courses of Temozolomide at 200 mg/m2 after radiotherapy.

Results:11 patients completed the protocol. At 6 months after initiation of treatment, most of these patients showed improvement in the QOL, which was assessed as per the ECOG performance status At one year after the completion of treatment, 46% patients were on regular follow-up. All these patients had good QOL as per ECOG performance status and no disease progression was seen on radiology as well as clinically.

DISCUSSION: The addition of Temozolomide along with radiation in post-operative setting has good improvement in the QOL of patients and is not associated with any major toxicity