Complete response after one cycle of temozolomide in an elderly patient with glioblastoma and poor performance status

J Neurooncol. 2008 Jun;88(2):185-8. doi: 10.1007/s11060-008-9546-0.

Abstract

There is no standard of care for elderly patients with glioblastoma (GBM) and poor performance status. A 79-year-old woman with GBM, aphasia, and hemiplegia achieved a complete response after only one cycle of temozolomide (TMZ) (150mg/m2/day over 5 days). Genomic profiling of the tumor demonstrated loss of chromosome 10 and MDM2 amplification, which are predictive of poor outcome. The MGMT promoter was methylated, and it is likely that this at least partially explains the exquisite chemosensitivity in our patient. This unusual case report suggests that TMZ warrants further investigation in elderly patients with poor performance status.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / therapeutic use*
  • Brain Neoplasms / complications
  • Brain Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Brain Neoplasms / genetics
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology
  • Chromosome Deletion
  • Chromosomes, Human, X / genetics
  • DNA Methylation
  • DNA Modification Methylases / genetics
  • DNA Repair Enzymes / genetics
  • Dacarbazine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Dacarbazine / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Glioblastoma / complications
  • Glioblastoma / drug therapy*
  • Glioblastoma / genetics
  • Glioblastoma / pathology
  • Humans
  • Temozolomide
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins
  • Dacarbazine
  • DNA Modification Methylases
  • MGMT protein, human
  • DNA Repair Enzymes
  • Temozolomide