Intraarterial chemotherapy and osmotic blood‐brain barrier disruption for patients with embryonal and germ cell tumors of the central nervous system

BACKGROUND. The rate of durable responses in embryonal and certain germ cell tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) is unsatisfactory. Intraarterial chemotherapy and osmotic blood‐brain barrier disruption (IA/BBBD) increases drug delivery to the CNS. METHODS. Data of patients treated with carboplatin or methotrexate‐based IA/BBBD on prospective phase 2 trials conducted at 3 centers were collected. Study outcomes included overall survival (OS), time to progression (TTP), and toxicity. RESULTS. Fifty‐four patients were treated. Twenty‐seven patients received IA/BBBD as salvage treatment. The median OS was 2.8 years for all patients, 2.5 years for supratentorial and disseminated primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNETs, n = 29), 1.7 years for medulloblastomas (n = 12), and 5.4 years for germ cell tumors (n = 13). OS and TTP for all patients were better with a Karnofsky Performance Status ≥70% (P = .0013 and .0070) and IA/BBBD as first‐line treatment (P = .0059 and .029). In PNETs, OS was higher with pineal location (P = .045) and IA/BBBD as first‐line treatment (P = .0036), and TTP was improved with radiotherapy before IA/BBBD (P = .036) and IA/BBBD as first‐line treatment (P = .0079). Seventeen of 54 patients (31%) are alive, and 16 are alive at 4+ to 18+ years. Three survivors were not treated with radiotherapy and 4 were treated with focal radiotherapy only. The patients who were not irradiated did not develop dementia. CONCLUSIONS. Survival and toxicity data appear promising, considering the cohort's adverse prognostic profile. A plateau in survival curves suggests a cure for some patients. Long‐term survival may be achieved with focal or reduced‐dose radiotherapy in some IA/BBBD patients. Cancer 2008. © 2007 American Cancer Society. Response, survival, and toxicity data appear promising in this study of embryonal and germ cell central nervous system tumors treated with intraarterial chemotherapy and blood‐brain barrier disruption, especially when considering that many patients carried adverse prognostic factors. A plateau in survival curves along with the long median follow‐up in the study suggest a possible cure for some patients, even with subsequent focal or reduced dose radiotherapy only.