Postoperative chemoradiotherapy in multimodality treatment of anaplastic (Grade III) brain gliomas
Long-term outcomes of multimodality treatment for 74 patients with anaplastic (grade III) brain gliomas treated with temozolomide were evaluated. The morphological structure of the tumor and patient age were shown to be the main factors affecting survival. The rates of 3-, 5-year progression-free survival, overall and cancer-specific survivals for anaplastic oligodendroglioma and oligoastrocytoma were 68.5±11.8% and 68.5±11.8%, 92.9±6,9% and 84.4±10.2%, 100% and 90.9±8.7% respectively, and for anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) 34.7±11.8% and 26.2±4.7%, 48.8±8.0% and 42.7±8.0%, 50.8±8.0% and 44.8±8.1% respectively (Р=0.003-0.008). No relationship was found between the treatment outcomes and employment of different total doses of radiotherapy and temozolomide. In AA patients aged ≤40 years, 3- and 5-year overall and cancer-specific survivals were the same (64.2±12.4%), which is statistically significantly higher than in patients >40 years of age (37.9±9.8% and 29.5±9.2%, 41.3±10.0% and 32.1±9.7% respectively, Р=0.028-0.039). No statistically significant differences in progression-free survival of AA patients regarding the age were found.