Phase II study of procarbazine, CCNU, and vincristine combination chemotherapy in the treatment of malignant brain tumors

Abstract

Forty‐eight patients with primary or metastatic malignant tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) were treated with combination chemotherapy, consisting of procarbazine (100 mg/m2 × 14 days), CCNU (75 mg/m2), and vincristine (1.4 mg/m2 × 2, 1 week apart) (PCV) every 4 weeks. Most patients had undergone initial resection of primary tumors, postoperative radiotherapy, and a post irradiation interval of 3 months or more. Other patients harbored unbiopsied, newly‐discovered primary or metastatic tumors. All patients were deteriorating neurologically when treatment began. Overall response rate for PCV combination therapy was 44%, no better than results obtained with single agent procarbazine or BCNU, the most effective drugs used alone in previous brain tumor chemotherapy studies. Copyright © 1975 American Cancer Society