[Radiotherapy of malignant glioma--prospective randomized clinical study of whole brain vs local irradiation].

Abstract

Prospective randomized clinical study was conducted to evaluate the factor of radiation field in radiotherapy for malignant glioma from 1981 to 1988 at Tokyo Women's Medical College. Radiation methods were randomized to two groups; (I) whole brain (40 Gy) and local irradiation (18 Gy), total dose 58 Gy/29 f/6 weeks (TDF 91), (II) local irradiation, total 56 Gy/28 f/6 weeks (TDF 90). Twenty three cases were registered as group I and 26 cases as group II. Two and four years cumulative survival rate were 43% and 17% in group I and 39% and 27% in group II. There were no significant differences on response, survival, recurrent pattern, late effect and complications between whole brain and local irradiation. This study confirmed that local control was the most important in the treatment of malignant glioma.