Long Island Neurosurgical & Spinal Associates (LINSA)
NeuroOncology

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 Chemotherapy

Medical therapy ("chemotherapy") of brain tumors uses a variety of different drugs which act in many different ways. Below follows a list of the most commonly used agents and their actions. Many other drugs and approaches are presently being studied in many centers. A good internet source to investigate these "protocols" is:  www.virtualtrials.com

 List of various anti-tumor agents
Chemotherapy 
(Drugs are designed to directly enter and kill tumor cells)

 
  • Carboplatin
  • BCNU
  • Temozolamide
  • Paclitaxel
  • Procarbazine
  • MX2
  • RMP-7 (enhances entry of chemotherapy agents into cells)
Anti-Glutamine Therapy
(Agents block glutamine, an essential building block of tumor cells)

  • (PBA)

  • Phenylacetic Acid (PEA)
Anti-Angiogenesis Therapy
(Agents block formation of new blood vessels to tumor)
Chemotherapy Wafers 
(Wafers with chemotherapy agent, directly implanted in tumor)
Anti-Growth Factor Therapy 
(Agents block cell growth stimulating proteins, secreted by tumor cells)

  • Tamoxifen

  • All-Transretinoic acid

  • SU101

Anti-Cell Membrane Therapy 
(Blocks cholesterol incorporation into tumor cell membrane)
  • Lovostatin
Radiosensitizers
(Agents are designed to make oxygen starved cells in the center of a tumor more sensitive to radiation)

  • Etanidazole

  • Tirapazamine  
Immune Therapy

 
  • Poly ICLC
Gene Therapy

 

  
Viral Vector Therapy

 

  
Intra-arterial Chemotherapy
  • BCNU
  • Cisplatin