[Chemotherapy of malignant brain tumors--scientific basis for combination chemotherapy].

In the past decade, many clinical trials have been explored for the search of effective chemotherapy against malignant gliomas. However, to date, no significant prolongation of the survival in adults malignant gliomas have been demonstrated by these approaches. Chemotherapy currently adds little to radiotherapy in these patients. In solid tumors responsive to chemotherapy, multiple effective agents are combined. The design of a chemotherapy regimen using multiple drugs should be planned on the basis of several scientific theories concerning with tumor biology. Among them, concepts of the alternating noncross resistance chemotherapy (Goldie-Coldman) and dose-intense chemotherapy were described in relation to application to the chemotherapy of gliomas.