Malignant gliomas treated after surgery by combination chemotherapy and delayed irradiation. Part I: Analysis of results

Forty-six patients with gliomas were introduced after surgery into a therapeutic programme of six cycles of combination chemotherapy with VM26 and CCNU, followed by delayed irradiation six months after surgery with an average dose of 5,800 rads. After irradiation the same preradiation chemotherapy was readministered for an average of four cycles. The results were compared to those from another group of 28 patients treated only by the same chemotherapy (CRC and C groups sucessively). Twelve patients (26%) died before irradiation in the CRC group, six patients (13%) had recurrences at the time of irradiation, and 28 patients (61%) had no clinical or radiological signs of recurrence at the time of irradiation. For the total of treated patients the median survival after surgery was 17 months, and 46% of the patients were surviving at 18 months. The percentage of survivors at 18 months was significantly more elevated in the group treated by combination chemotherapy and delayed irradiation than in a control group treated by the same combination chemotherapy alone. This result suggests that in approximately 50% of cases combination chemotherapy after surgery, and delayed irradiation six months after surgery, cumulated their effects on survival time.