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Purpose: We performed a randomized trial to comparesurvival distributions and toxicity of radiation therapy (RT)and DBD with RT and BCNU in patientswith high-grade astrocytoma. Methods: A total of 238patients with supratentorial grade 3 and grade 4astrocytoma were studied. Patients were stratified by age,extent of surgery, tumor grade, and performance scoreand randomly assigned to receive RT 55-60 Gyand either DBD, 200 mg/m2 orally on Days1–10 every five weeks or BCNU, 200 mg/m2intravenously every seven weeks. Median age was 60years; 62% were 55 years or older. Eighty-threepercent had subtotal resection, 58% had grade 4tumors, and 83% had performance scores of 0–2.Results: Survival distributions for all patients in thetwo arms were similar, with median survival of41 weeks in each arm. Time to progressiondistributions were virtually identical, with medians of 22weeks. BCNU produced significantly greater hematologic toxicity; medianleukocyte and platelet nadirs on the first cyclewere 3.6 vs. 4.7 (P=0.0001) and117 vs. 162 (P < 0.0001), and overallplatelet nadirs were 80.5 vs. 114 (P =0.0019). Non-hematologic toxicities were also significantly greater withBCNU, including nausea (57% vs. 31%; P

Thirty patients with recurrent primary brain tumors were treated with a combination of 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin. There were three responses seen. Toxicity consisted of stomatitis, diarrhea, and hematological suppression. 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin would appear to be minimally effective in recurrent brain tumors.

Amonafide, a novel imide derivative with broad preclinical antitumor activity, achieves significant cerebrospinal fluid levels in animal models. In order to test its antitumor activity in patients with recurrent diffuse infiltrative glioma of the astrocytic and oligodendroglial type, we performed a phase II clinical trial. Of the 22 eligible and evaluable patients treated, 2 (9%) experienced tumor regression lasting more than one year. No other patients experienced tumor regression; one remained stable more than six months. Toxicities consisted primarily of myelosuppression, vomiting, and venous irritation at the infusion site. We conclude that amonafide has minimal activity in recurrent glioma patients. Further investigations are not warranted in this study population.

Sixteen patients who developed CT or MRI scan evidence of recurrent diffuse astrocytoma after radiation therapy and nitrosourea-containing chemotherapy received ifosfamide (2500 mg/m2/day for 3 consecutive days) and mesna (500 mg/m2/dose, 5 doses/day for 3 consecutive days). Toxicity consisted primarily of leukopenia in that 60 percent of patients developed leukocyte nadirs less than 1500/mcL. Excessive somnolence occurred in three patients and may have contributed to a case of fatal pneumonia in one patient but was reversible in the other two. No patient had CT or MRI scan evidence of tumor regression. One patient remains stable at 11.3 + months, but all other patients developed evidence of progressive disease less than 6 months from initiation of therapy. The median times to tumor progression and death were 2.0 and 4.8 months, respectively. In conclusion, while ifosfamide and mesna can be given safely at this dose and schedule, there is no evidence of antitumor effect. The degree of leukopenia observed likely would prevent further dose escalation of ifosfamide or addition of other myelosuppressive agents without additional means of bone marrow support in this population of patients.