Temozolomide Plus Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Anaplastic Oligodendrogliomas or Mixed Anaplastic Oligoastrocytomas

Overview

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Combining chemotherapy and radiation therapy may kill more tumor cells. PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combining temozolomide with radiation therapy in treating patients who have newly diagnosed anaplastic oligodendrogliomas or mixed anaplastic oligoastrocytomas.

OBJECTIVES: * Determine the rate of progression in patients with newly diagnosed anaplastic oligodendrogliomas or mixed anaplastic oligoastrocytomas treated with neoadjuvant and concurrent temozolomide with radiotherapy. * Determine the toxicity of this regimen in these patients. * Determine the survival of patients treated with this regimen. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to response to neoadjuvant temozolomide (stable disease or partial response (PR) vs complete response (CR)). Patients receive oral temozolomide on days 1-7 and 15-21. Treatment repeats every 28 days for up to 6 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients with CR or PR receive 2 courses beyond CR or PR. Within 6 weeks after completion of neoadjuvant temozolomide, patients with stable disease or PR undergo radiotherapy 5 days a week for 6.5 weeks. Patients also receive oral temozolomide daily for 42 days concurrently with radiotherapy. Patients with CR after completion of neoadjuvant temozolomide undergo observation. Patients are followed at 9 and 12 months, every 4 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 3 years, and then annually thereafter. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A maximum of 37 patients will be accrued for this study within 12 months.