Preradiation high-dose intravenous methotrexate with leucovorin rescue for untreated primary childhood brain tumors Journal Article


Authors: Allen, J. C.; Walker, R.; Rosen, G.
Article Title: Preradiation high-dose intravenous methotrexate with leucovorin rescue for untreated primary childhood brain tumors
Abstract: Although high-dose intravenous (IV) methotrexate (MTX) with leucovorin rescue (HDMTX) is effective for certain recurrent primary brain tumors, concern for inducing leukoencephalopathy has restrained its use as adjuvant therapy following therapeutic brain irradiation (RT). We have conducted a phase I to II clinical trial using four biweekly courses of HDMTX (8 g/m2) in a neoadjuvant setting in ten patients with newly diagnosed high-risk pediatric primary brain tumors. Four patients experienced an objective response after two to four courses of HDMTX alone (medulloblastoma, one; pineoblastoma, one; malignant cerebral astrocytoma, two). All ten patients subsequently received a course of therapeutic RT, and in seven cases, adjuvant chemotherapy with other agents. One patient acquired an acute transient encephalopathy before RT that completely resolved, and another developed a seizure disorder following RT associated with white matter abnormalities on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Five patients have survived a minimum of 33+ months, and four remain in continuous remission. The acute and delayed neurotoxicity of neoadjuvant HDMTX is acceptable, and we favor further use of this neoadjuvant approach in the context of a phase III trial.
Keywords: clinical article; methotrexate; neurotoxicity; brain tumor; phase 2 clinical trial; childhood cancer; age; folinic acid; phase 1 clinical trial; folinate calcium; intravenous drug administration; human; male; female; priority journal
Journal Title: Journal of Clinical Oncology
Volume: 6
Issue: 4
ISSN: 0732-183X
Publisher: American Society of Clinical Oncology  
Date Published: 1988-04-01
Start Page: 649
End Page: 653
Language: English
DOI: 10.1200/jco.1988.6.4.649
PUBMED: 3258630
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Source: Scopus
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  1. Russell W. Walker
    38 Walker
  2. Jeffrey Allen
    22 Allen