Survival of patients with glioblastoma multiforme treated by intraoperative high-activity cobalt 60 endocurietherapy.

The authors report their initial treatment results in 49 patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GM) who received intraoperative endocurietherapy (ECT) with high-activity cobalt 60 (60Co) probe. Thirty poor prognosis (unresectable tumor) patients (Group I) with newly diagnosed GM were treated by either biopsy or subtotal excision, followed by 20.00-Gy single-fraction 60Co probe ECT, and 60.00-Gy external-beam radiation therapy (EXRT) (80.00 Gy total tumor dose). Nineteen patients (Group II) with recurrent, previously resected and externally irradiated GM were retreated with 20.00-Gy single-fraction 60Co probe ECT alone. The authors' initial experience with intraoperative ECT of GM is discussed.