EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR RECEPTOR-425 MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES RADIOLABELED WITH I-125 IN THE ADJUVANT TREATMENT OF HIGH-GRADE ASTROCYTOMAS

Fifty-nine patients with primary presentation of high-grade gliomas of the brain, 13 with astrocytomas with anaplastic foci and 46 with glio blastoma multiforme, were treated with surgical intervention and defin itive postoperative radiation therapy followed by multiple intravenous administration of iodine-125-labeled monoclonal antibody-425, which b inds specifically to human epidermal growth factor receptor, The total cumulative labeled antibody doses ranged from 40 to 296 mCi. The admi nistration of the radiolabeled antibody was performed in most instance s within 3 months following completion of the primary surgery and radi ation therapy, No significant life-threatening toxicities were observe d during the trial, At one year, 34 (58%) of the 59 patients in the tr ial were alive, The median overall survival for both groups was 13.5 m onths.