No abstract available.
Cyclophosphamide* ; Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Hodgkin Disease* ; Procarbazine* ; Vincristine*

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study was performed to evaluate the role of chemotherapy in the management of patients with anaplastic astrocytoma (AA). METHODS: We compared the survival outcome among the 3 different treatment protocol groups in a single institution. A total of 86 patients (39 men and 47 women) with newly diagnosed AA after surgery were analyzed. Among them, 31 patients (36.0%) were treated with radiotherapy only (RT Group), 30 patients (34.9%) were treated with nimustine-cisplatin chemotherapy before RT (ACNU-CDDP group), and 25 patients (29.1%) were treated with procarbazine, lomustine and vincristine (PCV) chemotherapy after radiotherapy (PCV group). RESULTS: The median survival was 14.0, 30.0 and 72.0 months in RT, ACNU-CDDP, and PCV group, respectively and showed significant differences (RT vs. ACNU-CDDP; p=0.039, RT vs. PCV; 0.002, ACNU-CDDP vs. PCV; 0.045). PCV group showed less toxicity rate (5 patients; 20%) than ACNU-CDDP group (12 patients; 40%), while only 3 patients (9.6%) in RT group experienced grade 3 or 4 toxicities. CONCLUSION: An application of chemotherapy before or after radiotherapy is beneficial in prolonging the survival of patients with AA. Adjuvant PCV chemotherapy after radiotherapy is recommendable.
Astrocytoma ; Clinical Protocols ; Humans ; Lomustine ; Male ; Procarbazine ; Retrospective Studies ; Vincristine

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study was performed to evaluate the role of chemotherapy in the management of patients with anaplastic astrocytoma (AA). METHODS: We compared the survival outcome among the 3 different treatment protocol groups in a single institution. A total of 86 patients (39 men and 47 women) with newly diagnosed AA after surgery were analyzed. Among them, 31 patients (36.0%) were treated with radiotherapy only (RT Group), 30 patients (34.9%) were treated with nimustine-cisplatin chemotherapy before RT (ACNU-CDDP group), and 25 patients (29.1%) were treated with procarbazine, lomustine and vincristine (PCV) chemotherapy after radiotherapy (PCV group). RESULTS: The median survival was 14.0, 30.0 and 72.0 months in RT, ACNU-CDDP, and PCV group, respectively and showed significant differences (RT vs. ACNU-CDDP; p=0.039, RT vs. PCV; 0.002, ACNU-CDDP vs. PCV; 0.045). PCV group showed less toxicity rate (5 patients; 20%) than ACNU-CDDP group (12 patients; 40%), while only 3 patients (9.6%) in RT group experienced grade 3 or 4 toxicities. CONCLUSION: An application of chemotherapy before or after radiotherapy is beneficial in prolonging the survival of patients with AA. Adjuvant PCV chemotherapy after radiotherapy is recommendable.
Astrocytoma ; Clinical Protocols ; Humans ; Lomustine ; Male ; Procarbazine ; Retrospective Studies ; Vincristine

The authors analyzed preliminary outcome of 10 patients with mixed glioma(3 patients with low-grade oligoastrocytoma and 7 patients with anaplastic oligoastrocytoma) who underwent surgical resection and were treated or are in treatment with or without adjuvant therapy at our institute since May 1993. In the low-grade oligoastrocytoma group, gross total tumor resection was done in all three cases and postoperative radiation therapy was performed in 2 cases. In the anaplastic oligoastrocytoma group, all seven cases were divided as to the amount of tumor removal(gross total resection; 4 cases, subtotal resection; 1 case, partial resection; 2 cases) and clinical course and prognosis were analyzed as to performing postoperative radiation therapy with or without chemotherapy. In the low-grade oligoastrocytoma group, one patient who didn't undergo postoperative radiation therapy suffered from tumor recurrence that showed histopathologically malignant transformation. In the anaplastic oligoastrocytoma group, 2 patients who underwent subtotal tumor resection and partial tumor resection with postoperative radiation therapy showed tumor progression and histopathologically more malignant transformation. The authors propose that gross total tumor resection with postoperative radiation therapy in low-grade oligoastrocytoma and adding chemotherapy(especially with procarbazine, lomustine, vincristine; PCV regimen) in anaplastic oligoastrocytoma appear to be associated with more prolongation of patient's survival.
Drug Therapy ; Glioma* ; Humans ; Lomustine ; Procarbazine ; Prognosis ; Recurrence ; Vincristine

Six patients with medulloblastoma involving brain stem were treated with surgical excision, irradiation or chemotherapy consisting of ACNU, vincristine and procarbazine from 1982 to 1993. All 6 patients were treated by surgical excision. Chang's staging was from T3b to T4 and radiation therapy was done in 5 patients and chemotherapy was performed in 4 patients. Mena follow up period was 25 months(range 1 to 87 months). The result of treatment for medulloblastomas invading brain stem was unfavorable in general, but radiation therapy combined aggressive chemotherapy after surgical resection could show a good result in some cases.
Brain Stem ; Brain* ; Drug Therapy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Medulloblastoma* ; Nimustine ; Procarbazine ; Vincristine

The major portion of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) patients, even at an advanced stage can be cured with optimal initial treatment. ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) is the standard treatment regimen for the advanced stage HL, while Stanford V (doxorubicin, vinblastine, mechlorethamine, vincristine, bleomycin, etoposide, and prednisone) and escalated BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone) can be reasonable alternatives for selected patients. Although radiotherapy is the key component in Stanford V regimen, radiotherapy should be applied only at the residual lymphoma in patients who received ABVD and BEACOPP therapy. These three representative treatments for advanced HL have individual advantages and disadvantages, so that the choice of the initial treatment should be dependent on patients' relapse risk, comorbidity, and age.
Bleomycin ; Comorbidity ; Cyclophosphamide ; Doxorubicin ; Etoposide ; Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Mechlorethamine ; Procarbazine ; Recurrence ; Vinblastine ; Vincristine

BACKGROUND: While procarbazine, CCNU (lomustine), and vincristine (PCV) has been an alternative chemotherapy option for malignant gliomas, it is worth investigating whether the combination of only procarbazine and CCNU is comparable because vincristine adds toxicity with uncertain benefit. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of procarbazine and CCNU chemotherapy for recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) with O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation. METHODS: Eight patients with recurrent GBM following concurrent chemoradiotherapy and temozolomide (TMZ) adjuvant therapy were enrolled in this trial; they received no other chemotherapeutic agents or target therapy. They received CCNU (75 mg/m²) on day 1 and procarbazine (60 mg/m²) through days 11 and 24 every 4 weeks. The median cycle of CCNU and procarbazine was 3.5 (range: 2–6). RESULTS: One patient achieved stable disease. The median progression-free survival (PFS) with procarbazine and CCNU chemotherapy was eight weeks (range: 5–73), and the PFS rates were 25% and 12.5% at 16 and 30 weeks, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) from the initial diagnosis to death was 40 months, and the median OS from the administration of procarbazine and CCNU chemotherapy to death was 9.7 months (95% confidence interval: 6.7–12.7). Serious adverse events were found at six visits, and two cases were considered to be grade 3 toxicities. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of procarbazine and CCNU chemotherapy is not satisfactory. This study suggests the need to develop other treatment strategies for recurrent and TMZ-refractory GBM. Trial registry at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT017337346.
Chemoradiotherapy ; Diagnosis ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy* ; Glioblastoma* ; Glioma ; Humans ; Lomustine* ; Methylation* ; Procarbazine* ; Vincristine

Malignant histiocytosis is a rare, usually fatal malignant neoplasm. We present a case of a 62 year-old female with malignant histiocytosis involving the skin, lymph nodes and bone marrow. The patient achieved a complete remission for 1 year after the completion of COPP chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine and prednisone). We propose that COPP chemotherapy is a valuable therapeutic regimen for malignant histiocytosis.
Bone Marrow ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination* ; Female ; Histiocytic Sarcoma* ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; Middle Aged ; Procarbazine ; Skin ; Vincristine

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy for recurrent anaplastic oligodendroglioma (AO) and anaplastic oligoastrocytoma (AOA). METHODS: A multi-center retrospective trial enrolled seventy-two patients with histologically proven AO/AOA who underwent TMZ chemotherapy for their recurrent tumors from 2006 to 2010. TMZ was administered orally (150 to 200 mg/m2/day) for 5 days per 28 days until unacceptable toxicity occurred or tumor progression was observed. RESULTS: TMZ chemotherapy cycles administered was median 5.3 (range, 1-41). The objective response rate was 24% including 8 cases (11%) of complete response and another 23 patients (32%) were remained as stable disease. Severe side effects (> or =grade 3) occurred only in 9 patients (13%). Progression-free survival (PFS) of all patients was a median 8.0 months (95% confidence interval, 6.0-10.0). The time to recurrence of a year or after was a favorable prognostic factor for PFS (p<0.05). Overall survival (OS) was apparently differed by the patient's histology, as AOA patients survived a median OS of 18.0 months while AO patients did not reach median OS at median follow-up of 11.5 months (range 2.7-65 months). Good performance status of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group 0 and 1 showed prolonged OS (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: For recurrent AO/AOA after surgery followed by radiation therapy, TMZ could be recommended as a salvage therapy at the estimated efficacy equal to procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine (PCV) chemotherapy at first relapse. For patients previously treated with PCV, TMZ is a favorable therapeutic option as 2nd line salvage chemotherapy with an acceptable toxicity rate.
Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lomustine ; Oligodendroglioma* ; Procarbazine ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Salvage Therapy ; Vincristine

PURPOSE: We conducted this study to determine the efficacy of conventional treatments for patients with Hodgkin's disease and identify the patients who have poor prognosis and need high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between Jun. 1989 and Dec. 1997, 50 patients were enrolled and 39 patients were evaluable. Patients were treated with radiotherapy (5 patients) or combination chemotherapy (21 patients) or combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy (13 patients) according to their disease stage. Chemotherapy regimens were C-MOPP (cyclo- phosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone), MOPP (mechlorethamine, vin- cristine, procarbazine, and prednisone), ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine), alternating C-MOPP/ABVD, and MOPP/ABV hybrid. Radiation therapy was performed when there was residual tumor after chemotherapy or bulky disease. The response to treatments was analyzed by clinical stage I-II and stage III-IV patients group, respectively. RESULTS: The complete response rate was 76.9% for total patients, 83.3% for stage I-II patients, and 71.4% for stage III-IV patients. Of the 30 patients achieving complete response, four (13.3%) relapsed at 6, 12, 22, and 28 months after complete response, respectively. The median follow-up duration was 24 months. Nine patients died. Four patients died of Hodgkins disease. Three-year overall survival rate was 72.9% for total patients, 72.5% for stage I-II patients, and 70% for stage III-IV patients. Two-year disease- free survival rate was 77.6% for total patients, 79% for stage I-II stage patients, and 73.9% for stage III-IV patients. The prognostic factor analysis showed that performance status affected the disease-free survival rate. CONCLUSION: Conventional treatments in patients with Hodgkins disease showed results comparable to previous studies. But we were unable to identify the patients, who need high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation, because of small number of study patients and short follow up duration.
Bleomycin ; Dimethoate ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hodgkin Disease* ; Humans ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Procarbazine ; Prognosis ; Radiotherapy ; Stem Cell Transplantation ; Survival Rate ; Vinblastine ; Vincristine