A PHASE III TRIAL COMPARING THE USE OF RADIOSURGERY FOLLOWED BY CONVENTIONAL RADIOTHERAPY WITH BCNU TO CONVENTIONAL RADIOTHERAPY WITH BCNU FOR SUPRATENTORIAL GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME

Inclusion Criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histopathologically confirmed supratentorial glioblastoma
multiforme or gliosarcoma Diagnosis by surgical biopsy or resection required The following
tumor types are specifically excluded: Astrocytoma with atypical or anaplastic features
Well differentiated astrocytomas Tumors originating in the brain stem Tumors located
within 10 mm of the optic chiasm Infratentorial tumors Multifocal malignant glioma
Recurrent malignant glioma Well circumscribed contrast-enhancing tumor on pre- and
postoperative contrast-enhanced CT or MRI with a maximum diameter (in any direction) of 40
mm required Tumors that do not enhance on postoperative CT or MRI excluded Concurrent
enrollment on RTOG-9308 encouraged

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Karnofsky 60-100% Life
expectancy: At least 3 months Hematopoietic: ANC at least 1,500 Platelets at least 100,000
Hb at least 10 g/dl (may transfuse) Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dl SGOT or
SGPT no greater than 2 x normal Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dl BUN no greater
than 25 mg/dl Pulmonary: Chest x-ray normal If abnormal or if there is a history of
pulmonary disease, pulmonary function studies (including DLCO) must be at least 75% of
predicted Other: Neurologic function status 0-3 No AIDS No major medical or psychiatric
illness that would preclude protocol therapy or follow-up No second malignancy within 5
years except: Nonmelanomatous skin cancer In situ carcinoma of the uterine cervix

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: No prior
chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: No prior radiotherapy to the
head and neck Surgery: No more than 5 weeks between surgery and initiation of treatment
Recovery from surgery and any postoperative complications required