[Efficacy of the "8 drugs in a day" protocol in brain tumors in children].

In the present study, the "8 drugs in 1 day" regimen was tested in 54 children: 27 relapses (brain and/or spinal and/or meningeal sites), 10 refractory progressive diseases, 13 macroscopic residual tumors after partial excision and/or radiotherapy; in 4 cases, this regimen was prescribed as first line treatment. The response rate (complete and partial remission) was 46%. Results were very encouraging in medalloblastomas with a response rate of 76.5% whereas in brain stem gliomas it was only 23% and 33% in other astrocytomas. Immediate toxicity, mainly hematological, was very moderate. These results justify to propose this regimen as adjuvant chemotherapy, mostly in medulloblastomas and to plan other similar trials, using the most active drugs which seem presently to be alkylating and platinum-derived agents.