The Use of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-425 Monoclonal Antibodies Radiolabeled with Iodine-125 in the Adjuvant Treatment of Patients with High Grade Gliomas of the Brain

Abstract

Astrocytomas with anaplastic foci and glioblastoma multiforme have a poor prognostic outlook despite multiple efforts of aggressive combined integrated multi-modality treatment. In 1994, the American Cancer Society estimates that 17 500 new cases of brain and central nervous system tumors will be diagnosed with a projected death rate of 12600 (Boring et al. 1994). Of these new cases, approximately 7000 or 40% will be malignant astrocytomas and the majority of these will be high grade gliomas of the brain- 4200 to 5560 (Mahaley et al. 1989). Standard treatment is generally surgical resection followed by conventionally fractionated external beam radiotherapy to approximately 60–65 Gy in 6–7 weeks of treatment. However, survival for these patients remains poor, with median survival of 42 weeks in large cooperative trial studies with conventional treatment (Walker et al. 1978). The addition of chemotherapy to the management of high grade gliomas has been of little benefit in altering this bleak outlook for management.