A phase II study of nimustine hydrochloride, cisplatin, and etoposide combination chemotherapy for supratentorial malignant gliomas.

Twenty-eight patients who were previously treated by aggressive surgery and radiation and were diagnosed with supratentorial malignant gliomas received a combination of nimustine hydrochloride; 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl) methyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea hydrochloride (ACNU), cisplatin and etoposide (ACE therapy) as primary treatment. Cisplatin and etoposide were given at doses of 20 and 60 mg/m2/day for 5 days, respectively, ACNU doses 80 mg/m2/day on the first day. Treatment was repeated at 4-week intervals for up to 3 cycles. Seventeen patients (60.7%) complained of nausea. Grade 3 or 4 hematological toxicity occurred in 11 patients (39.3%), and grade 3 or 4 renal toxicity occurred in 2 patients. The percentage of patients who showed complete or partial response was 28.6% (8/28). The median time of tumor progression was 40 weeks, and the median survival time was 146 weeks. There were some long-surviving patients who may have benefited from ACE combination. This study demonstrated the effects of ACE combination in patients with supratentorial malignant gliomas.