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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Cancer / December 2006Temodar for treatment of low grade oligodendroglioma
Has anyone on this group undergone chemotherapy treatment for a low grade glioma (primary brain tumor) using a drug called Temodar and if so what was your experience? A recent biopsy confirmed I have a low grade oligodendroglioma that tests positive for 1p19q deletion. The deletion is a recently discovered indicator of chemo receptivity often associated with oligodendroglioma. I'm still working with my insurance to see if they'll cover the treatment as chemotherapy for low grade glioma is relatively new. Here is a paper which states chemo would help you type of tumor. http://www.aans.org/education/journal/neurosurgical/Nov05/19-5-15.pdf Another from Brain tumor Society. http://www.tbts.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=301&itemID=18230 Last you may want to look at the ACOR mailing list http://www.acor.org/mailing.html > Has anyone on this group undergone chemotherapy treatment for a low > grade glioma (primary brain tumor) using a drug called Temodar and if [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to see if they'll cover the treatment as chemotherapy for low grade > glioma is relatively new. > Here is a paper which states chemo would help you type of tumor. > > http://www.aans.org/education/journal/neurosurgical/Nov05/19-5-15.pdf Methods. Eighty-seven cases of supratentorial oligodendroglioma were selected from 145 cases treated in a single center between January 1990 and December 2001. The issue of how to treat oligodendroglioma adequately is still a matter of debate.1,2,7,8,12,16,32,47,51 Authors of some reports have indicated that a more complete resection of tumor is associated with increased survival.7,11,16,21,27,37 Our data have not confirmed this, as the survival period was not affected by residual tumor. We did not compare treatment modalities because of statistical bias. Nonetheless, from the review of the patients treated by excision alone, we can infer that, in younger patients with an asymptomatic lowgrade oligodendroglioma and 1p-19q deletion, total resection is adequate and adjuvant treatment should be deferred until the tumor progresses because all such patients are still alive. > Another from Brain tumor Society. > http://www.tbts.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=301&itemID=18230 That last one is anaplastic oligodendroglioma - which is Grade III Pam (Tanada's husband) has that Grade glioma. J My husband had a Stage 4 GBM and was treated with Temodar. It worked out great for him. In my research, there is some controversy about using Temodar for high grade gliomas, but the individuals that I have talked to who have been on it said it's worked out for them. > Has anyone on this group undergone chemotherapy treatment for a low > grade glioma (primary brain tumor) using a drug called Temodar and if [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to see if they'll cover the treatment as chemotherapy for low grade > glioma is relatively new. Yes. My husband Rob was given a combination of Temodar and radiation treatments for his stage 4 Malignant Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma. The two together have worked well for the last four years. Recently, he was diagnosed with the beginnings of dementia, but I seriously doubt if that was the result of the Temodar. I rather think that the location of his tumors has more to do with it. The Temodar cost around $1000 a pill and he took four of them a day for five days then was off for 28 days, for a four month course. His tumors have not grown in that time. The first day he was very nauseated and the oncologist put him on medication for that. After that he was just tired and slept even more than usual. Of course your mileage will vary. Rob was part of the phase three,dosage levels, trials. So far as I can see, Temodar is the most effective and state of the art chemotherapy for this type of tumor. Pam S. not a medical expert. > "BillyG" <gundermanw@aol.com> wrote in message > > Has anyone on this group undergone chemotherapy treatment for a low [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > the result of the Temodar. I rather think that the location of his tumors > has more to do with it. Hello Pam, Anaplastic is Grade 3. Just so Billy doesn't get over-distressed by your next post, as i remember it, when you first posted here, you described Rob's tumor as squishing his whole brain over to one side. Might not apply for others, is what I'm saying. J >> Yes. My husband Rob was given a combination of Temodar and radiation >> treatments for his stage 4 Malignant Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma. The [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > brain over to one side. Might not apply for others, is what I'm saying. > J You're right J. My mistake, please forgive me. Rob's brain was squished over on one side and there were more than one tumor. He's doing pretty well considering. Just be prepared to explain various kinds of information, like rules for simple games, repeatedly to him. So far no big deal. Pam S. > >> Yes. My husband Rob was given a combination of Temodar and radiation > >> treatments for his stage 4 Malignant Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma. The [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Pam S. Tanada, thanks for your input. I assume "squished to one side" is what the radialogists refer to as "severe midline shift." The midline is drawn down the center of the brain from an axial (top) view. Glad the treatment helped Rob. Do you recall if there was improvement in his MRI after treatment or rather it was a case that the area of tumor no longer expanded? Did he get 60 Gray radiation over a six week period at the start of his Temodar treatment? This is referred to as external fractionated radiation. Arterial breakdown often occurs 2-3 years after that level of radiation that may explain some of the demensia he is experiencing. > Tanada, thanks for your input. I assume "squished to one side" is what > the radialogists refer to as "severe midline shift." The midline is [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > after that level of radiation that may explain some of the demensia he > is experiencing. Ok, I can't remember the type of radiation treatments he had after the operation, but he had around 30 treatments (about 6 weeks, if I recall correctly. Pam, thy name is blonde). There was slight shrinkage, but not enough that the layman could notice. Rob's brain did have severe midline shift before the operation it literally looked like ). Anyway, he's doing pretty good today. This is a good thing. We're all content. Pam S. |
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