Linked Life Data

8392909

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/8392909

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
3
pubmed:dateCreated
1993-8-26
pubmed:abstractText
Adult patients with primary malignant brain tumors are a heterogeneous group. Most patients will have high-grade astrocytomas and can be expected to obtain minimal benefit from current standard chemotherapy regimens. Intra-arterial chemotherapy, high-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow rescue, and new chemotherapeutic agents designed to penetrate the blood-brain barrier have not resulted in significant advances to date. However, there are exciting new directions in the chemotherapy of high-grade astrocytomas which are entering clinical trials. Two potentially promising approaches include interstitial chemotherapy using surgically implanted polymers and the continuous infusion of combinations of active chemotherapeutic agents. Other therapeutic modalities such as radioactive seed implants, stereotactic radiosurgery, and gene therapy are also being evaluated. Hopefully, this intense activity by subspecialists with a wide range of interests and expertise will produce novel and effective treatments for the large number of patients with malignant astrocytomas. In contrast, patients with many of the less common neoplasms of the central nervous system may benefit from the addition of chemotherapy to their treatment. Primary germ cell tumors or lymphomas of the central nervous system are very sensitive to chemotherapy. The germ cell tumors respond to the cisplatin-containing regimens developed for testicular malignancies. The optimal chemotherapy for CNS lymphoma is not clear but exciting results have been reported with a combination of radiation, systemic and intrathecal methotrexate, and systemic cytosine arabinoside. Although limited, the available literature suggests that patients with anaplastic oligodendrogliomas may also benefit from chemotherapy at diagnosis or at relapse. Studies in children suggest a benefit for adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy in poor risk patients with medulloblastomas although these findings have not been confirmed in adults. Finally, anecdotal reports suggest that chemotherapy may be useful in the very rare patient who presents with a pineal tumor or an ependymoma.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jul
pubmed:issn
0305-7372
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
19
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
261-81
pubmed:dateRevised
2005-11-16
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1993
pubmed:articleTitle
The chemotherapy of adult primary brain tumors.
pubmed:affiliation
Johns Hopkins Oncology Center, Baltimore, MD 21287.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review