[Supratentorial malignant glioma in adults. Adjustment of the treatment of 3 groups according to a clinical classification].

Therapeutic goals cannot be the same for every patient with malignant glioma, as suggested by the study of 106 cases seen from 1975 to 1982. Seventy patients were uniformly treated by surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Two clinical parameters, i.e. age and postoperative neurological status (NS), were used to divide patients into three groups with a significantly different prognosis. Median survival was 59.5 months for group 1 (age 50 or less, good NS) and 11.5 months for group 2 (age 51 to 65 and good NS, or younger than 51 but poor NS). For group 3 (age 51 to 65 and poor NS, or older than 65), survival was six months. From 1978, two trials were carried out, with therapy being adjusted to each group. Whatever the group, surgical excision was done whenever it was consistent with preservation of the neurological status and followed by combination chemotherapy (Vincristine-VM 26-CCNU). For group 1, radiotherapy was not modified: 60 grays were delivered to the tumor and surrounding safety margin in 30 fractions over 6 weeks. Patients in group 2 received 69 grays in two daily fractions over 6 weeks (1.15 Gy each morning and evening five days a week). With this modified treatment, median survival was brought up to 20.5 months. Patients in group 3 were treated initially by surgery and chemotherapy; radiotherapy was restricted to recurrences. This policy significantly improved patients' comfort by enabling their prompt return to home. The median survival for 14 patients was 10.5 months. Our experience suggests that different therapeutic goals should be set for each group. In group 1, therapy should be aimed at obtaining prolonged survival. In group 3, survival remains short and the main concern is to improve patients' comfort. As patients in group 2 have an intermediate prognosis, they are the best candidates for therapeutic trials designed to improve the response to radiotherapy and chemotherapy.