Major venous sinus resection in the surgical treatment of recurrent aggressive dural based tumors.

Background: Despite gross total resection, aggressive dural based tumors invading major venous sinuses have high recurrence rates with poor long-term survivability. Options for aggressive surgical management of dural sinus invasion may be limited by the inherently high risk of morbidity and mortality.

Methods: Between July 1996 and July 2002, 5 cases of recurrent aggressive dural based tumors were operated on.

Temozolomide in combination with irinotecan for treatment of recurrent malignant glioma.

The prognosis for patients with recurrent malignant glioma is poor. Both temozolomide and irinotecan have been shown to be active in this disease. A study was performed combining temozolomide 200 mg/m2 daily for 5 days and irinotecan 125 mg/m2 on days 6, 13, and 20 initially (Schedule A) and then changed to (Schedule B) temozolomide 200 mg/m2 daily for 5 days and irinotecan 350 mg/m2 on day 6.