Background: Malignant gliomas are tumors of bad prognosis with a mean survival of 12 months. In the present report 74 patients diagnosed of malignant glioma were studied with the following aims: 1) evaluate how many could receive combined radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy (BCNU) treatment following surgery and 2) analyze whether the patients treated presented a survival similar to that described in the literature.
Methods: The records of 74 patients operated on for malignant glioma between 1987-1990 and consecutively included in a protocol of treatment with RT and BCNU were reviewed.
Results: Out of the total of 74 patients, 29 (39%) were considered evaluable. The medians of progression free interval and survival were of 10 and 16 months, respectively in these patients. Forty-five (61%) patients could not fulfill the protocol mainly because of tumoral progression prior to completion of RT and severe post surgical complications. The evaluable patients were significantly younger (p = 0.004) and tumoral exeresis wider (p = 0.0003) than in those who were not evaluable.
Conclusions: Most of the patients operated on for malignant glioma may not receive treatment considered as standard, principally due to tumor progression in the first weeks following surgery and the presence of severe post surgical complications.