Continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy in the treatment of high-grade astrocytomas.

Between May 1993 and January 1995, 36 patients with high-grade astrocytomas were treated with 1.05 Gy continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy three times daily to a total target dose of 59.85 Gy in 19 days with 6-h intervals. The median age of the patients was 51 years and the median follow-up was 58 weeks. The median survival rate was 58 weeks and the cumulative survival rate was 22% at 2 years. No severe toxicity occurred in patients treated with this fractionation scheme. These results suggest that continuous hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy is an altered fractionation schedule for high-grade astrocytomas with tolerable acute toxicity and survival rates comparable to conventional fractionation and to other altered fractionation schedules.