A phase I study of topotecan as a radiosensitizer for brainstem glioma of childhood: first report of the Children's Cancer Group-0952.

Our purpose was to establish the maximum tolerated dosage (MTD) of daily i.v. topotecan with conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (XRT) for patients with intrinsic pontine glioma of childhood. Topotecan was given as a 30-min i.v. infusion 30-60 min before each XRT treatment given daily for 33 days. Total XRT dose was 59.4 Gy. Dose escalation of topotecan was carried out using a standard phase I design. Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) of < or =500/mm(3) for > or =7 days; platelets of < or =50,000/mm(3) for > or =7 days; >7 days platelet transfusions; fever and neutropenia (ANC < or =500/mm(3) for > or =7 days); and/or any > or=grade 3 non-hematologic toxicity. In this multi-institutional phase I study, 17 patients <21 years with intrinsic pontine glioma were enrolled. Sixteen patients completed treatment. An ANC < or =500/mm(3) for > or =7 days occurred in 2/5 patients at 0.50 mg/m(2) of topotecan, which was the DLT. The remaining 14 patients received topotecan without experiencing DLT. One patient at 0.40 mg/m(2) died of disease progression while on treatment. There were 6 other grade 4 hematologic events (5 ANCs <500/mm(3), 1 hemoglobin <6. 5 g/dl) not meeting DLT criteria. No significant non-hematologic toxicities were seen. The actuarial median survival time is 15 months (95% confidence interval, 9.6-19 months); 1-year survival is 53%. DLT of daily topotecan with cranial XRT is grade 4 neutropenia for > or =7 days at 0.50 mg/m(2) x 33 (total dosage = 16.5 mg/m(2)); the recommended safe MTD of daily topotecan for further phase II testing is 0.40 mg/m(2) x 33 (total dosage = 13.2 mg/m(2)).

A multi-institutional review of radiosurgery alone vs. radiosurgery with whole brain radiotherapy as the initial management of brain metastases.

PURPOSE: Data collected from 10 institutions were reviewed to compare survival probabilities of patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases managed initially with radiosurgery (RS) alone vs. RS + whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: A database was created from raw data submitted from 10 institutions on patients treated with RS for brain metastases. The major exclusion criteria were resection of a brain metastasis and interval from the end of WBRT until RS >1 month (to try to ensure that the up-front intent was to combine RS + WBRT and that RS was not given for recurrent brain metastases). Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method from the date of first treatment for brain metastases until death or last follow-up. Survival times were compared for patients managed initially with RS alone vs. RS + WBRT using the Cox proportional hazards model to adjust for known prognostic factors or Radiation Therapy Oncology Group recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) class. RESULTS: Out of 983 patients, 31 were excluded because treatment began after 6/1/98; 159 were excluded because brain metastases were resected; 179 were excluded because there was an interval >1 month from WBRT until RS; and 45 were excluded for other reasons. Of the 569 evaluable patients, 268 had RS alone initially (24% of whom ultimately had salvage WBRT), and 301 had RS + up-front WBRT. The median survival times for patients treated with RS alone initially vs. RS + WBRT were 14.0 vs. 15.2 months for RPA Class 1 patients, 8.2 vs. 7.0 months for Class 2, and 5.3 vs. 5.5 months for Class 3, respectively. With adjustment by RPA class, there was no survival difference comparing RS alone initially to RS + up-front WBRT (p = 0.33, hazard ratio = 1.09). CONCLUSIONS: Omission of up-front WBRT does not seem to compromise length of survival in patients treated with RS for newly diagnosed brain metastases.