[Combination therapy with IFN-beta, ACNU and radiation (IAR) in malignant brain tumors]

In order to analyze the efficacy of combination therapy with Hu-IFN-beta, ACNU and radiation (IAR), nine patients with malignant glioma were treated as a control study. They received 100 X 10(4) IU Hu-IFN-beta daily for seven days intravenously or intratumorally, 3 mg/kg ACNU on day 2 and 5,000-6,000 rads of radiation from day 3. Four out of nine patients showed complete response and one partial response with this IAR therapy. Case 1 was a 64-year-old man who had glioblastoma in the left frontal lobe. Postoperative residual tumors disappeared completely with this therapy. Case 3 was a 8-year-old girl who had an enhanced high-density lesion in the medulla oblongata and pons. After IAR therapy, the high-density lesion was completely vanished and her clinical manifestations of multiple cranial nerve palsy and pyramidal sign were improved remarkably. The major side effects of IAR therapy were mild or moderate myelosuppression, and some patients also showed hepatic dysfunction, mild fever and gastrointestinal toxicities. However, all these side effects were mild and transient and soon recovered to normal levels. These results suggest that IAR therapy is effective and will prolong the survival time of patients with malignant glioma.