SALVAGE CHEMOTHERAPY WITH CLADRIBINE IN A PATIENT WITH RECURRENT MALIGNANT OLIGODENDROGLIOMA - A CASE-REPORT

Oligodendrogliomas appear to be the most chemoresponsive subtype of gl iomas. PCV (procarbazine, CCNU, vincristine) chemotherapy produces sig nificant response rates and probable prolongation of survival. Unfortu nately there is no well-defined second line chemotherapy. There is evi dence that the purine analogue cladribine has activity in astrocytomas , which are much less sensitive to chemotherapy than oligodendroglioma s, but the use of cladribine in oligodendrogliomas has never been repo rted. We describe the unsuccessful use of cladribine as third line che motherapy in a young man with an aggressive oligodendroglioma. The lit erature pertaining to chemotherapy for oligodendrogliomas is reviewed.