Salvage chemotherapy with procarbazine and fotemustine combination in the treatment of temozolomide treated recurrent glioblastoma patients

J Neurooncol. 2008 Apr;87(2):143-51. doi: 10.1007/s11060-007-9427-y. Epub 2007 Jun 19.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate safety and efficacy of Procarbazine (PCB) and fotemustine (FTM) combination in the treatment of pre-temozolomide treated, recurrent GBM patients. The primary end-point was progression free survival at 6 months (PFS-6). Secondary end-points were overall survival, response rates (CR + PR) and toxicity. About 54 patients (41 men and 13 women) aged 26-68 years (median age, 53.5 years) with recurrent GBM were treated. PCB was administered as an oral dosage of 450 mg on days 1-2 and a total dose of 300 mg on day 3. FTM was administered on day 3, 3 h after the last PCB intake at a dose of 110 mg/mq/BSA. The treatment was repeated every 5 weeks. Treatment was continued for a maximum of six cycles or until disease progression. After two cycles of chemotherapy: 6 patients (11.2%) experienced a neuroradiographic partial response (PR), 29 patients (53.7%) had stable disease (SD), and 19 patients (35.1%) had progressive disease (PD). For the whole group of patients, the median PFS was 19.3 weeks (95% CI, 14.1-24.4 weeks), and PFS-6 was 26.7% (95% CI, 10.6-42.8%). Overall MST from the beginning of PCB + FTM chemotherapy was 28.7 weeks (95% CI, 24.8-32.7 weeks). At 6 and 12 months, 64.4% (95% CI, 51.5-77.3%) and 23.6% (95% CI, 10.1-37.1%) of patients were alive. The median survival time calculated from the first diagnosis was 20.8 months (95% CI, 16.7-24.8). We concluded that the PCB + FTM combination as done in the current trial for patients with recurrent GBM after treatment with TMZ showed some benefit with regards to increased survival and that a Phase III trial is warranted.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase II

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Brain Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Brain Neoplasms / mortality
  • Dacarbazine / analogs & derivatives
  • Dacarbazine / therapeutic use
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Glioblastoma / drug therapy*
  • Glioblastoma / mortality
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / mortality
  • Nitrosourea Compounds / administration & dosage
  • Nitrosourea Compounds / adverse effects
  • Organophosphorus Compounds / administration & dosage
  • Organophosphorus Compounds / adverse effects
  • Procarbazine / administration & dosage
  • Procarbazine / adverse effects
  • Salvage Therapy / methods*
  • Temozolomide

Substances

  • Nitrosourea Compounds
  • Organophosphorus Compounds
  • Procarbazine
  • Dacarbazine
  • fotemustine
  • Temozolomide