Complete Remission and Long Term Survival in Recurrent Malignant Glioblastoma Treated with Fotemustine Monotherapy: A Case Report

Carmine Cerullo, Carla Fonte, Andrea Muto, Agnese Vannini, Mattia Rediti, Sheila Rangan, Lorenzo Bordi, Bruno Neri

Department of Oncology—Center of Experimental and Clinical Oncology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Interventional Neuroradiology, Florence, Italy..

DOI: 10.4236/jct.2013.42075                

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant primary brain tumor. Conventional therapies are considered palliative and long-term progression-free survival remains low for most GBM patients even after surgical excision, concomitant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy with nitrosoureas or Temozolomide. We report the case of a 47-year-old man who presented worsening headache over a month, accompanied by episodes of morning vomiting and hyposthenia of the left hemisoma. Cerebral tomographic scan revealed an expansive process on the right frontal site. Following surgical resection, the patient was diagnosed with diffusely infiltrating GBM. After surgery, the patient underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy with Temozolomide for 6 months. Eleven months later, the patient underwent a second-look surgery with excision of a new right superior frontal nodule. This time the patient refused both radio and chemotherapy and underwent follow-up only. After 12 months he underwent a new craniotomy for the excision of a third GBM relapse. Following resection, the patient agreed to be treated for 6 months with fotemustine (FTM) 100 mg/m² intravenously every 4 weeks as chemotherapy. After 3 months of treatment the patient underwent a full physical examination and diagnostic monitoring of the tumor using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain and whole body Computerised Tomography (CT). During FTM treatment, the most frequent, but reversible toxic effect was hematological grade 2 anemia and thrombocytopenia but no other grade >2 toxicity was recorded, so there was no reduction or delay in treatment. Presently, after 8 years of follow-up, the patient is in excellent health and has no evidence of intracranial disease recurrence. In light of this case, post-surgical FTM treatment seems to represent an interesting well-tolerated treatment possibility in patients with recurrent malignant GBM of the brain, given that there are very few reports of such a remission in the literature.

Keywords

Fotomustine; Glioblastoma Multiforme; Recurrence; Treatment; Survival

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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