Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of three dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) with tamoxifen in treating patients with postoperative malignant glioma.
Patients and methods: 60 patients of postoperative malignant glioma were randomly assigned into two groups, 30 patients were treated with 3D-CRT plus tamoxifen (treatment group), and the other 30 patients with 3D-CRT plus temozolomide (control group). All patients were radiated by 6MV X-ray, 2.0 Gy per fraction, once daily, with a total dose (DT) of 56~60 Gy. Tamoxifen was delivered at 60 mg /m2/d, temozolomide was given at 75 mg/m2/d. All patients were treated with concurrent radiotherapy.
Results: One, 2, 3 year survival rates of treatment and control group were 63.3%, 30.0%, 23.0% and 70.0%, 33.3%, 26.7%, respectively (χ2=0.01, 0.23, 0.09, P>0.05). The rate of thromboembolism in treatment group was 6.7%.
Conclusion: Therapeutic efficacy of two groups was similar, but it was more cost- effective in treatment group, and toxicity did not increase.