Daily low-dose carboplatin as a radiation sensitizer for newly diagnosed malignant glioma

• Published in: Journal of neuro-oncology Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 27 - 32
• Main Authors: PETERSON, Kendra, HARSH, Griffith IV, FISHER, Paul G, ADLER, John, QUYHN LE
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.05.2001; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Antineoplastic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Neoplasms - mortality; Brain Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Carboplatin - administration & dosage; Combined Modality Therapy; Combined treatments (chemotherapy of immunotherapy associated with an other treatment); Dose Fractionation, Radiation; Female; Glioma - mortality; Glioma - radiotherapy; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Radiation-Sensitizing Agents - administration & dosage; Survival Rate; Human; Antineoplastic agent; Nervous system diseases; Prognosis; Low dose; Malignant tumor; Radiotherapy; Glioblastoma multiforme; Malignant glioma; Chemotherapy; Radiosensitizing agent; Central nervous system disease; Carboplatin; Adult; Combined treatment; Therapeutic protocol; Astrocytoma; Platinum II Complexes
• ISSN: 0167-594X; 1573-7373
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1011891209900

Surgical resection followed by local field radiotherapy is currently our most effective approach to treatment for most patients with malignant glioma. Carboplatin chemotherapy has direct cytotoxic effects on glioma cells and acts as a radiation sensitizer to enhance cell killing. Its demonstrated efficacy as a sensitizer in other solid tumors led to this clinical trial of carboplatin as a radiation sensitizer in the treatment of newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and anaplastic astrocytoma (AA). Fourteen patients (nine GBM and five AA) were treated with daily low-dose carboplatin 25 mg/m2 intravenously within 2 h of their fractionated radiotherapy to a total dose of 600 mg/m2. No significant toxicities attributable to this combined therapy were observed. All patients have progressed, with median time to progression of 16 weeks. Eleven patients have died, with median survival of 38 weeks for the entire cohort. Although this regimen appeared safe, there was no benefit in survival time compared to historical patients treated with radiotherapy. The limitations and future potential for the strategy of radiation sensitization are discussed.