The effect of chloroquine treatment in malignant astrocytomas on prognosis

Aim: To investigate the adjuvant role of the antimutagenic agent chloroquine in the treatment of patients with malignant astrocytomas (MAs). Materials and methods: Clinical research was conducted at the Neurosurgery Clinic of the Erciyes University School of Medicine, from September 2003 to April 2007, on 37 patients diagnosed with MA after tumor resection subsequent to craniotomy. Chloroquine treatment was started on a daily dose of 150 mg, additional to the patients' radiotherapy and chemotherapy protocol, and was continued throughout the 43-month surveillance period. A control group was formed of 81 patients with MA after the craniotomy. Results: While the mean survival time of the patients who were treated with chloroquine was found to be 15 months, during the observation period 7 of these patients (18.9%) were alive throughout. In the control group, 20 patients (35.1%) were alive throughout the observation period and their mean survival time was 17 months. There were no statistical differences between the control and chloroquine groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The chloroquine treatment was not been found to be effective for the medical treatment of MAs.