Topotecan treatment of adults with primary malignant glioma

Abstract

BACKGROUND Topotecan activity was evaluated for the treatment of malignant glioma. METHODS Sixty-three patients with newly diagnosed (n = 25) or recurrent (n = 38) malignant glioma were treated with topotecan at a dose of 2.6 mg/m2 over a 72-hour period weekly. Recurrent tumors included glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) (n = 28) and anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) (n = 10). Newly diagnosed tumors included GBM (n = 14), AA (n = 8), and anaplastic oligodendroglioma (n = 3). RESULTS Partial responses were observed in 2 of 14 evaluable patients with newly diagnosed GBM, 1 of 8 patients with newly diagnosed AA, 3 of 10 patients with recurrent AA, and none of 28 patients with recurrent GBM. Four patients with recurrent AA and 7 patients with recurrent GBM demonstrated stable disease (range, 8–52 weeks; median, 21 weeks). Toxicity was limited to infrequent National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria Grade 3 myelosuppression. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that topotecan has modest activity against malignant glioma and continued evaluation of its effectiveness may be warranted when alternative schedules or combination regimens are used. Cancer 1999;85:1160–5. © 1999 American Cancer Society.