Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0017636 (glioblastoma)
 18,345 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

26 patients, average age of 7.3 years, has biopsies of a brain stem tumor. 62% of the patients presented with hydrocephalus, and ventriculoperitoneal shunts were placed 7-10 days prior to biopsy. The midbrain was biopsied 13 times, the pons 3 and the medulla 12 times. Tissue for histopathologic examination was obtained at each operation and demonstrated astrocytoma in 13 patients, glioblastoma in 6, 'no tumor seen' in 5 and ependymoma in 2. Astrocytomas were usually located in the upper brain stem, and all of the glioblastomas were located in the medulla. The operative mortality was zero, and the morbidity was largely related to increased cranial nerve deficit. All the astrocytoma patients were treated with radiation only; whereas, 4 patients with glioblastoma were treated with vincristine, CCNU and methylprednisone in addition to radiation as described by the Children's Cancer Study Group (CCG-944). 3 patients with 'no tumor' were not treated and are alive and well 15-41 months following operation. 2 patients with no tumor were treated, one as a glioblastoma multiforme, subsequently verified at postmortem examination, and one as a midbrain astrocytoma. 1 patient with astrocytoma died 3 months following operation, all the remainder are living and well 4-51 months following operation. Irrespective of the treatment, all 7 patients with glioblastoma expired within 9 months of diagnosis. The prognosis for survival for patients with brain stem astrocytoma is superior to those with glioblastoma multiforme. Specific histopathologic correlation with clinical management may lead to improved and prolonged survival for patients with brain stem glioma.
 ...
PMID:Biopsy of pediatric brain stem tumors. 45 7

Forty-one non-selected patients with malignant brain tumors have been treated since 1976 with chemoimmunotherapy using ACNU and PSK postoperatively. Eleven (27%) of these cases have survived usefully over five years, including 6 cases (30%) out of 20 with glioblastoma (astrocytoma III, IV approximately Kernohan). This long-term survival response for glioblastoma was considered to be better than any previous figures in the literature. Among these 6 cases, one child of 11 years old with brain stem tumor was found to be so significantly improved by chemoimmunotherapy that no surgery was needed. In another patient with astrocytoma III of the bilateral thalamus, the tumor was seen to be diminished so completely on CT examination after administration of ACNU(100 mg x 4), that no surgery was needed except for external decompression and was needed except for external decompression and biopsy. In three other cases local (intracavitary) chemotherapy was performed successfully. Local concentration of ACNU in these latter cases 24 h after its insertion was verified as being markedly higher than that in peripheral blood and brain tissues after intravascular administration. In an immunological study of these brain tumors, parameters such as lymphocytes and T cells in peripheral blood and Ig(G.A.M) in serum were examined. The results showed that these parameters were almost at normal levels in long-term survival patients (Group I), low in short-term survivals patients (Group II died) and normal in all control cases (Group III benign brain tumors, traumatic disorders etc.). Combined administration of PSK was considered to be very effective for the improvement of these parameters.
 ...
PMID:[Long-term survival of patients with brain tumors treated with ACNU and PSK after surgery--with special reference to there immunological follow-up]. 633 12