BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment for elderly patients (defined as patients 70 years of age or older) with malignant gliomas (MG) remains controversial. Some physicians advocate withholding therapy following diagnosis based on the observation that elderly patients do not tolerate adjuvant radiotherapy. The availability of temozolomide (TMZ), a new alkylating agent with antiglioma efficacy, offers another potential therapeutic option for these patients. The drug can be administered orally at home with minimal morbidity. METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed a cohort of 86 consecutive elderly MG patients from three institutions, 32 of whom received monthly TMZ in lieu of radiation. RESULTS: Initial Karnofsky performance score was the only predictor of survival in this cohort. No difference in survival was noted between these two groups. Toxicity was minimal in the chemotherapy-treated group and a higher percentage of patients receiving chemotherapy died at home. CONCLUSIONS: The authors concluded that TMZ is as effective as irradiation as a treatment of elderly patients with MG. It is an alternative and, perhaps, a superior therapeutic option to irradiation, based on its ease of administration and low morbidity. Copyright 2003 American Cancer Society.DOI 10.1002/cncr.11323
BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment for elderly patients (defined as patients 70 years of age or older) with malignant gliomas (MG) remains controversial. Some physicians advocate withholding therapy following diagnosis based on the observation that elderly patients do not tolerate adjuvant radiotherapy. The availability of temozolomide (TMZ), a new alkylating agent with antiglioma efficacy, offers another potential therapeutic option for these patients. The drug can be administered orally at home with minimal morbidity. METHODS: The authors retrospectively reviewed a cohort of 86 consecutive elderly MGpatients from three institutions, 32 of whom received monthly TMZ in lieu of radiation. RESULTS: Initial Karnofsky performance score was the only predictor of survival in this cohort. No difference in survival was noted between these two groups. Toxicity was minimal in the chemotherapy-treated group and a higher percentage of patients receiving chemotherapy died at home. CONCLUSIONS: The authors concluded that TMZ is as effective as irradiation as a treatment of elderly patients with MG. It is an alternative and, perhaps, a superior therapeutic option to irradiation, based on its ease of administration and low morbidity. Copyright 2003 American Cancer Society.DOI 10.1002/cncr.11323
Authors: Marc C Chamberlain; Michael J Glantz; Lisa Chalmers; Alixis Van Horn; Andrew E Sloan Journal: J Neurooncol Date: 2006-08-31 Impact factor: 4.130
Authors: Louis Burt Nabors; Mario Ammirati; Philip J Bierman; Henry Brem; Nicholas Butowski; Marc C Chamberlain; Lisa M DeAngelis; Robert A Fenstermaker; Allan Friedman; Mark R Gilbert; Deneen Hesser; Matthias Holdhoff; Larry Junck; Ronald Lawson; Jay S Loeffler; Moshe H Maor; Paul L Moots; Tara Morrison; Maciej M Mrugala; Herbert B Newton; Jana Portnow; Jeffrey J Raizer; Lawrence Recht; Dennis C Shrieve; Allen K Sills; David Tran; Nam Tran; Frank D Vrionis; Patrick Y Wen; Nicole McMillian; Maria Ho Journal: J Natl Compr Canc Netw Date: 2013-09-01 Impact factor: 11.908