Nimotuzumab in combination with chemotherapy for patients with malignant gliomas

• Published in: Zhōnghuá zhŏngliú zázhì Vol. 33; no. 3; p. 232
• Main Authors: Yang, Qun-ying, Shen, Dong, Sai, Ke, Mu, Yong-gao, Jiang, Xiao-bing, Zhang, Xian-heng, Chen, Zhong-ping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Chinese
• Published: China 01.03.2011
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized - administration & dosage; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized - adverse effects; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized - therapeutic use; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating - therapeutic use; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Astrocytoma - drug therapy; Child; Cisplatin - administration & dosage; Cisplatin - adverse effects; Dacarbazine - adverse effects; Dacarbazine - analogs & derivatives; Dacarbazine - therapeutic use; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Glioblastoma - drug therapy; Glioma - drug therapy; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Male; Nausea - chemically induced; Neutropenia - chemically induced; Nimustine - administration & dosage; Nimustine - adverse effects; Teniposide - administration & dosage; Teniposide - adverse effects; Thrombocytopenia - chemically induced; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0253-3766
• DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.0253-3766.2011.03.018

Nimotuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeted against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Recent clinical studies show that patients with malignant gliomas could benefit from nimotuzumab treatment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and side effects of nimotuzumab in combination with chemotherapy for patients with malignant gliomas. The patients received 200 mg of nimotuzumab infusion intravenously over 60 minutes once weekly for the first eight weeks and then once every two weeks until unacceptable toxicity or tumor progression occurred. Individualized chemotherapy was administered based on O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) expression and previous chemotherapy responses in combined with nimotuzumab. Fourteen patients received a total of 122 times of nimotuzumab ranging from 2 to 20 (median 7.5 times). Combined chemotherapy regimens included: continuous 21-day temozolomide (10 cases), standard 5-day temozolomide (2 cases), teniposide plus cisplatin (1 case),