Background: Patients with recurrent or progressive low grade gliomas survive for a decade or more following diagnosis, and may be at
a higher risk for treatment-related complications, such as cognitive impairment from radiotherapy.
Purpose: The aim of the present study was to determine in patients with progressive or recurrent low grade gliomas, the response
rate and toxicity incurred by a continued schedule of temozolomide chemotherapy administered before radiation therapy, and
to explore correlations between response and survival with 1p/19q deletions and
MGMT promoter methylation status.
Methods: Progressive radio and chemotherapy naïve low grade glioma patients with O
6-methyl-guanine-DNA-methyl-tranferase (
MGMT) promoter status evaluation were considered eligible. Chemotherapy cycles consisted of temozolomide 75 mg/m
2/daily for 21 days every 28 days for 12 cycles.
Results: A total of 30 patients (median age 45 [range: 24.2–68.6] years) with a median KPS of 90 (range 60–90) were accrued. The
overall response rate was 30% (9 partial responses); 17 patients (56.7%) had disease stabilization.
Conclusion: The prolonged temozolomide schedule considered in the present study is followed by a high response rate; toxicity is acceptable.
Further randomized trials should therefore be conducted to confirm the efficacy of this regimen as first-line therapy in patients
with progressive low grade glioma.
Keywords Clinical trials - Low grade gliomas - 1p/19q deletions -
MGMT
- Prolonged temozolomide