The Long-Term Progression Free Survival After the Combination of Radiotherapy with Concurrent Chemotherapy of Nimotuzumab And Temozolomide Followed Adjuvant Temozolomide In Recurrent Anaplastic Astrocytoma

The management of recurrent high-grade gliomas is highly challenging, and treatment outcome remains invariably poor. High-grade gliomas (HGGs) are highly malignant tumor, which complete surgical resection of all microscopic extensions cannot be always achieved. All high-grade gliomas nearly recur and survival following disease progression is doomed to be approximately 6 months for GBMs and 10 months for anaplastic gliomas. Therapy options for recurrent HGGs are limited and may include surgery, re-irradiation, chemotherapy and targeted therapy. We present a case of a 33-year-old male with recurrent anaplastic astrocytoma after initial surgery. The patient underwent the treatment of radiation therapy with concurrent chemotherapy of nimotuzumab and oral temozolomide for 6 weeks followed by six cycles of adjuvant temozolomide for tumor local recurrences, and the patient still do not relapse with a long-term progression free survival lasting seven years. The median survival in patients with recurrent anaplastic astrocytoma is usually 10 months after recurrence, and this unique case illustrates that comprehensive therapy can achieve long-term survival in select situations. We recommend that the treatment of each recurrent patient should be based on each clinical situation and aspire for quality of life and improved longevity.