High grade gliomas (HGG)

Original Research Article To study the survival outcome and toxicity grades in patients of high-grade glioma (HGG) treated with conformal radiation and temozolamide. High grade gliomas (HGG) are the most common primary CNS tumors in adult. Even with multidisciplinary approach the outcome is miserable. However recently concomitant chemoradiation (CCRT) with temozolomide has been effectively used. It has found to increase median survival with good clinical outcome in patients with malignant gliomas. This was a quasi experimental study done in the department of radiation oncology in National Institute of Cancer Research & Hospital (NICRH) Mohakhali, Dhaka during January 2014 to December 2014. Patients with newly diagnosed, histologically proved high grade (WHO grade III & grade IV) were assigned to receive radiation therapy alone (fractionated focal irradiation in daily fractions of 2 Gy in five fractions per week for six weeks, for a total 60 Gy) or radiation therapy plus temozolomide (75 mg/m 2 from 1 st day of radiation therapy to last day of radiation therapy), followed by six cycles of adjuvant temozolomide (150 to 200mg per square meter for five days during each 28 day cycle). The primary end point was haematological, neurotoxicities & survival. A total sixty patients were enrolled for study, acute neurotoxicities toxicities were compared between the patiens of two arms. Patients treated by CCRT with temozolomide showed more toxicities than the radiation therapy alone in some stages. As a whole the differences were not statistically significant.

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