New drugs in recurrent high grade gliomas

Background: The incidence of Central Nervous System (CNS) neoplasias ranges from 3.8 to 5.1 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In the presence of recurrence, the treatment is problematic; chemotherapy is experimental, primarily because the response is palliative and of limited duration. Materials and Methods: This article analyzes the new drugs that have been introduced for the treatment of these patients in recent years, the objective response, the TTP and the MST. Results: The most encouraging results to date come from studies of temozolomide, which is one of the most active and best tolerated drugs in recent years. Conclusion: New approaches to chemotherapy treatment are necessary. Enrollment of patients into rigorous, well-conducted, clinical trials, both at tumor diagnosis and after tumor recurrence, will generate new information regarding investigational therapies and may offer improved therapies for patients with malignant gliomas.