No abstract available
Drug Therapy ; Glioma* ; Humans ; Nimustine* ; Radiotherapy*

The outlook for patients with malignant gliomas of the brain remains rather poor. However, after many experience of decades, the data indicate that some improvements seemed to have occurred with following adjuvant treatments after surgery; 1) High dose post-operative radiation therapy 6000-7000 rad/7-8 week. 2) High dose irradiation with BCNU combined therapy(ECOG). 3) Multiple daily fractionated radiotherapy combined with or without misonidazole. 4) Intracranial implant or intraoperative electron therapy.
Brain ; Carmustine ; Glioma* ; Humans ; Misonidazole ; Radiotherapy*

Intracranial tumors secondary to radiotherapy are rare. In this group gliomas are the rarest. Only 6 cases of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) have been reported in patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) for craniopharyngiomas of which only 4 have been in children less than 18 years of age. In recent years RT has become a mainstay of adjuvant therapy for recurrent or partially excised craniopharyngiomas. We report a child of 12 years who had previously undergone RT for a suprasellar craniopharyngioma and presented 10 years later with a GBM. This is the 5th pediatric case in literature demonstrating a GBM after RT for a craniopharyngioma. The implications of subjecting the pediatric population to RT for a benign lesion versus the outcome of gross total removal and management of RT induced tumors is discussed and the need to avail of safer alternatives such as stereotactic radiosurgery is stressed.
Child ; Craniopharyngioma* ; Glioblastoma ; Glioma ; Humans ; Radiosurgery ; Radiotherapy ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant*

A 39-year-old woman developed a glioblastoma about 7 years and 10 months after local radiotherapy (4500 cGy) for pituitary adenoma. Clinical and histopathological details are presented, and previously reported cases of radiation-induced glioma are reviewed.
Adult ; Female ; Glioblastoma* ; Glioma ; Humans ; Pituitary Neoplasms* ; Radiotherapy*

No abstract available.
Astrocytoma ; Brain* ; Drug Therapy ; Glioblastoma ; Glioma* ; Humans ; Nimustine* ; Radiotherapy*

Fractionation dose and number have been known as radiation factor affecting the radiation complication and the effectiveness in radiotherapy for brain tumors. In this study hyperfractionation technique with 115cGy/fractioin 2 fractions daily 5days/wk, upto 5750-6900cGy to partial brain volume was compared with conventional fractionation technique with daily 200cGy/fraction 5 fraction/wk, upto 5400-6000cGy, in regarding to the effectiveness of hyperfractionated radiotherapy and eraly and later radiation reavtion. The survival period was longer in hyperfractionated irradiated group particularly if the tumors were located in the posterior portion of brain, however there was no singificant statistics due to small number of patients. Mean survival period for glioblastoma multiforme was 11.8 months in hyperfractionated group vs 8.7 months in conventional fractionated group and for high grade astrocytoma 36month in hyperfractionated group, but in conventional fractionated group all was died in 18 months. Acute radiation reaction occurred less frequently in hyperfractionated group, 15.8% vs 47.8% in conventional fractionated group(p<0.024). Alopeci was developed in 31.6% of the hyperfractionated group vs 82.6% of the conventional fractionated group(p<0.0031). One case of later radiation necrosis in cancer region was suspected in the hyperfractionated group but we has been in a dilemma for confirmatory diagnosis in present available diagnostic technique. The hyperfractionated irradiation technique was proven to be superior to conventional fractionated technique regarding the radiation reaction and the effectiveness of the treatment.
Astrocytoma ; Brain ; Brain Neoplasms ; Diagnosis ; Glioblastoma ; Glioma* ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Radiotherapy*

BACKGROUNDReliable early prediction response to therapy and time-to-progression (TTP) remain an important goal of high-grade gliomas (HGGs) research. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) has been applied with variable success in clinical application, and we hypothesize that (1)H-MRS in predictive value should perform well as a marker of TTP in patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) after surgery.

METHODS(1)H-MRS was performed before surgery on 25 patients who had undergone resection of HGGs; then the ratios of lipid/creatine (Lip/Cr) and myo-inositol/creatine (mI/Cr) were determined in the solid tumor. RT response was classified as follows: complete resolution (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), and progressive disease (PD) by comparison of pre-treatment and post-radiotherapy scans. TTP was defined at the time to radiographic progression by MacDonald criteria. Correlation was evaluated between the ratios of Lip/Cr, mI/Cr and treatment response, TTP. The chi-square test and Pearson correlation test were used for data analyses.

RESULTSMultivariate analysis revealed that the prognostic value of spectroscopic variables was independent of age, sex, WHO histologic grade, extent of surgery, and Karnofsky score (KPS). The correlation between the ratios of lipid/Cr and TTP was significant (r = 0.894, P = 0.000), and between the ratios of mI/Cr and TTP was also significant (r = 0.891, P = 0.000). As predicted, RT response correlated significantly with TTP (r = 0.59, P = 0.002): median TTP was 49.9 days for patients with PD compared with 202.7 days for SD, 208.0 days for PR, and 234.5 days for CR.

CONCLUSIONThe ratios of Lip/Cr and mI/Cr of the solid tumor region before surgery could provide important information in predicting RT response and TTP in patients with HGGs treated by radiation alone after surgery.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of conventional postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy in the management of supratentorial malignant glioma and to determine favorable prognostic factors affecting survival. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From Sep. 1985 to Mar. 1997, the number of eligible patients who received postoperative radiotherapy completely was 69. They ranged in age from 7 to 66 years (median, 47). Forty-two (61%) patients were glioblastoma multiforme and the other 27 (39%) were anaplastic astrocytoma. Twenty patients (29%) had Karnofsky score equal or more than 80 preoperatively. Forty-three patients (62%) had symptom duration equal or less than 3 months. Twenty-four patients (35%) had gross total resection and forty patients(58%) had partial resection, the remaining five patients (7%) had biopsy only. Radiotherapy dose ranged from 50.4 Gy to 61.2 Gy (median, 55.8; mode, 59.4) with fraction size of 1.8 Gy-2.0 Gy for 33-83 days(median, 48) except three patients delivered 33, 36, 39 Gy, respectively with fraction size of 3.0 Gy due to poor postoperative performance status. Follow-up rate was 93% and median follow-up period was 14 months. RESULTS: Overall survival rate at 2 and 3 years and median survival were 38%, 20%, and 16 months for entire patients; 67%, 44%, and 34 months for anaplastic astrocytoma; 18%, 4%, and 14 months for glioblastoma multiforme, respectively (p=0.0001). According to the extent of surgery, 3-year overall survival for gross total resection, partial resection, and biopsy only was 38%, 11%, and 0%, respectively (p=0.02). The 3-year overall survival rates for patients age 40>, 40-59, and 60< or = were 52%, 8%, and 0%, respectively (p=0.0007). For the variate of performance score 80< or = vs 80>, the 3-year survival rates were 53% and 9%, respectively (p=0.008). On multivariate analysis including covariates of three surgical and age subgroups as above, pathology, extent of surgery and age were significant prognostic factors affecting overall survival. On another multivariate analysis with covariates of two surgical (total resection vs others) and two age (50> vs 50< or =) subgroups, then, pathology, extent of surgery and performancestatus were significant factors instead of age and 3-year cumulative survival rate for the five patients with these three favorable factors was 100% without serious sequela. CONCLUSION: We confirmed the role of postoperative conventional radiotherapy in the management of supratentorial malignant glioma by improving survival as compared with historical data of surgery only. Patients with anaplastic astrocytoma, good performance score, gross total resection and/or young age survived longest. Maximum surgical resection with acceptable preservation of neurologic function should be attempted in glioblastoma patients, especially in younger patients. But the survival of most glioblastoma patients without favorable factors is still poor, so other active adjuvant treatment modalities should be tried or added rather than conventional radiation treatment alone in this subgroup.
Astrocytoma ; Biopsy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glioblastoma ; Glioma* ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Pathology ; Radiotherapy ; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant ; Survival Rate

Brachytherapy ; methods ; Brain Neoplasms ; radiotherapy ; Glioma ; radiotherapy ; Humans ; Iodine Radioisotopes ; therapeutic use ; Liver Neoplasms ; radiotherapy ; Lung Neoplasms ; radiotherapy ; Male ; Mouth Neoplasms ; radiotherapy ; Neoplasms ; radiotherapy ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; radiotherapy ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; radiotherapy ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Survival Rate

Based on the assumption that apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) define high-risk clinical target volume (aCTVHR) in high-grade glioma in a cellularity-dependent manner, the dosimetric effects of aCTVHR-targeted dose optimization were evaluated in two intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images and ADC maps were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to determine aCTVHR in a high-grade glioma with high cellularity. After confirming tumor malignancy using the average and minimum ADCs and ADC ratios, the aCTVHR with double- or triple-restricted water diffusion was defined on computed tomography images through image registration. Doses to the aCTVHR and CTV defined on T1-weighted MR images were optimized using a simultaneous integrated boost technique. The dosimetric benefits for CTVs and organs at risk (OARs) were compared using dose volume histograms and various biophysical indices in an ADC map-based IMRT (IMRTADC) plan and a conventional IMRT (IMRTconv) plan. The IMRTADC plan improved dose conformity up to 15 times, compared to the IMRTconv plan. It reduced the equivalent uniform doses in the visual system and brain stem by more than 10% and 16%, respectively. The ADC-based target differentiation and dose optimization may facilitate conformal dose distribution to the aCTVHR and OAR sparing in an IMRT plan.
Contrast Media ; Gadolinium ; Glioma/*radiotherapy ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods ; *Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted/*methods ; Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated/*methods ; Tumor Burden