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CCNU chemotherapy prolongs survival of patients with primary brain tumor when given at the time of tumor progression following radiation therapy. Used as single agent, response rates of 30 to 80 per cent have been reported with median response durations of five to six months. Experimentally, tumor cytotoxicity is enhanced using the combination of misonidazole and CCNU, without increasing myelotoxicity. In this phase I/II study, 23 patients with primary brain tumor which progressed following radiation therapy were treated with combined CCNU and misonidazole. In all patients either the diagnosis of high grade glioma was made at the time of initial diagnosis prior to radiation therapy or the tumor transformed from low grade to high grade glioma at the time of progression following radiation therapy. CCNU 120 mg/M was given four hours following misonidazole 3.5 g/M every six weeks, with dosage adjustments for myelotoxicity. Treatment was continued for one year or until tumor progression. Of the 17 patients in the study for one year or more, 11 (65 per cent) survived for one year, and six (35 per cent) remained free of tumor progression for one year. Median time to tumor progression from start of CCNU plus misonidazole chemotherapy was 27 weeks and median survival was 80 weeks. No severe complications resulted from myelotoxicity. One patient developed mild peripheral neuropathy which disappeared following discontinuation of misonidazole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]