Temozolomide and Radiotherapy versus Radiotherapy Alone in High Grade Gliomas: A Very Long Term Comparative Study and Literature Review Up-to-date | Chapter 6 | Innovations in Science and Technology Vol. 6

  The goal of this study is to compare the outcomes of 31 patients who received RT and adjuvant TMZ (group A) from January 1997 to June 1999 versus 33 patients who received RT and concomitant TMZ (group B) from July 1999 to November 2001, as well as to compare the subjects who received both RT and TMZ with the historical group (group C) who received only radiotherapy. The first-line treatment for high-grade gliomas is temozolomide (TMZ). In the treatment of brain gliomas, the combination of TMZ and radiotherapy is more successful than radiotherapy alone. The goal of this study is to compare the survival of glioma patients treated with radiation alone versus radiotherapy plus TMZ over a long period of time (>10 years).

Materials and Methods: From April 1994 to November 2001, we retrospectively analysed the outcomes of 128 consecutive patients diagnosed with high-grade gliomas who were referred to our institutions. The first 64 patients were given RT alone, whereas the remaining 64 were given a combination of RT and adjuvant or concurrent TMZ.

Grade 3 (G3) haematological damage was observed in 6 (9%) of the 64 patients who received RT with TMZ. There was no evidence of G4 haematological harm. Age, histology, and TMZ treatment were all statistically significant prognostic variables for overall survival at 2 years (OS). PFS was 9 months for GBM and 11 months for AA.

Conclusions: In glioma patients, combining RT with TMZ increases long-term survival. Our findings demonstrate the combination's long-term advantage.

Author(s) Details:

Salvatore Parisi,
Unit of Radiation Therapy of IRCCS “Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza”, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy and Radiotherapy Unit, Scientific Institute “Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza”, Viale Cappuccini, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.


Pietro Corsa,
Unit of Radiation Therapy of IRCCS “Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza”, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.


Arcangela Raguso,
Unit of Radiation Therapy of IRCCS “Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza”, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.


Antonio Perrone,
Unit of Radiation Therapy of IRCCS “Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza”, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.


Sabrina Cossa,
Unit of Radiation Therapy of IRCCS “Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza”, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.


Tindara Munafò,
Unit of Radiation Therapy of IRCCS “Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza”, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.


Gerardo Sanpaolo,
Unit of Radiation Therapy of IRCCS “Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza”, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.


Elisa Donno,
Unit of Radiation Therapy of IRCCS “Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza”, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.


Maria Antonietta Clemente,
Unit of Radiation Therapy of IRCCS “Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza”, 71013 San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.


Michele Piombino,
Unit of Radiation Therapy of Policlinico, 70124 Bari, Italy.


Federico Parisi,
University of Chieti, 66100 Chieti, Italy.


Guido Valle,
Unit of Nuclear Medicine of IRCCS “Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza”, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/IST-V6/article/view/6036