European journal of cancer : official journal for European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) [and] European Association for Cancer Research (EACR)
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The aims of this study were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), toxicity and pharmacokinetics of oral temozolomide administered over 42 d in children with recurrent/refractory brain tumours. Cohorts of 3-6 patients were treated for 42 d, followed by a 7-d rest period for a maximum of 6 cycles. Patients were stratified as heavily pre-treated (HPT) and non-heavily pre-treated (NHPT). ⋯ In conclusion, the recommended dose of temozolomide is 85 mg/m2 x 42 d. Dose-limiting toxicities are thrombocytopenia and lymphopenia. The observed response rate warrants phase II studies.
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Data on 15,399 adolescents diagnosed with cancer at age 15-19 years during 1978-1997 in Europe were extracted from the database of the Automated Childhood Cancer Information System (ACCIS). Total incidence in Europe as a whole was 186 per million in 1988-1997. Incidence among males was 1.2 times that among females. ⋯ Survival was highest in the North, 78%, and lowest in the East, 57%. Five-year survival was generally comparable with that in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries of the United States of America (USA), but for Ewing's sarcoma it was below 45% in all European regions compared with 56% in the USA. Survival increased significantly during 1978-1997 for all cancers combined and for all diagnostic groups with sufficient registrations for analysis.