New drugs in recurrent high grade gliomas.

BACKGROUND

The incidence of Central Nervous System (CNS) neoplasias ranges from 3.8 to 5.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In the presence of recurrence, the treatment is problematic; chemotherapy is experimental, primarily because the response is palliative and of limited duration.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This article analyzes the new drugs that have been introduced for the treatment of these patients in recent years, the objective response, the TTP and the MST.

RESULTS

The most encouraging results to date come from studies of temozolomide, which is one of the most active and best tolerated drugs in recent years.

CONCLUSION

New approaches to chemotherapy treatment are necessary. Enrollment of patients into rigorous, well-conducted, clinical trials, both at tumor diagnosis and after tumor recurrence, will generate new information regarding investigational therapies and may offer improved therapies for patients with malignant gliomas.