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Camptothecins in the Treatment of Primary Brain Tumors

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Camptothecins in Cancer Therapy

Abstract

The number of new cases of primary malignant brain tumors diagnosed in 2003 more than double the number of diagnosed cases of Hodgkin’s disease, approximately 13,100 deaths were estimated to have occurred as a result of primary cancer of the central nervous system (CNS). Metastases to the brain from a systemic primary cancer are even more common. One estimate suggests that more than 100,000 patients per year die with symptomatic intracranial metastases. In addition, if benign cases are considered, approximately 36,000 brain tumors would have been diagnosed in 2002. The age- and sex-adjusted incidence of primary tumors of the CNS is estimated to be approximately 19 per 100,000 persons per year (11.8 per 100,000 for symptomatic tumors and 7.3 per 100,000 for asymptomatic tumors) (1).

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Stewart, C.F., Leggas, M., Friedman, H.S. (2005). Camptothecins in the Treatment of Primary Brain Tumors. In: Adams, V.R., Burke, T.G. (eds) Camptothecins in Cancer Therapy. Cancer Drug Discovery and Development. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-866-8:343

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