PROCARBAZINE, CCNU, VINCRISTINE COMBINATION IN THE TREATMENT OF BRAIN-TUMORS

Forty patients with primary malignant brain tumor were treated by comb ination chemotherapy after prior treatment with surgery and radiothera py. The chemotherapy schedule consisted of PCV: procarbazine per os, 1 00 mg/m(2), during 14 consecutive days; CCNU, per os, 80 mg/m(2) on da y 1 and vincristine, intravenously, 1.4 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 14. This protocol was planned to be repeated every 45 days for 6 courses. Medi an 5 courses (range, 2-6) of chemotherapy was administered to patients . The median relapse free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were f ound to be 28 and 79+ months, respectively. According to univariate an alysis, performance status (PS) of patients was an important prognosti c factor on RFS and OS where extent of surgery was an additional signi ficant determinant of OS. Multivariate analysis of pretreatment factor s revealed the influence of sex, type of histopathology and PS on RFS and that of PS on OS rates (P <0.05). The toxicity of this regimen was mild to moderate. The major toxicity noted was myelosuppression. Seve re (grade III-IV) neutropenia and thrombocytopenia has been observed i n 13 (7%) and 6 courses (3.5%), respectively. In general, PCV is well tolerated and the median RFS and OS times elucidated are comparable wi th particular trials utilizing combination chemotherapy and longer tha n using radiotherapy alone.