RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet known if radiation therapy is more effective with or without temozolomide for glioblastoma multiforme.

PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of radiation therapy with or without temozolomide in treating patients who have newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

OBJECTIVES: I. Compare the efficacy of radiotherapy with or without temozolomide in terms of overall survival in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme. II. Compare the toxicity profiles of these regimens in these patients. III. Compare the progression free survival of these patients treated with these regimens. IV. Compare the quality of life in these patients treated with these regimens.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to participating center, age (under 50 vs 50 and over), WHO/ECOG performance status (0-1 vs 2), and extent of surgical resection (biopsy only vs complete or incomplete resection). Patients are randomized to one of two treatment arms. Arm I: Patients undergo radiotherapy 5 days a week for 6 weeks. Arm II: Patients undergo radiotherapy as in arm I concurrently with oral temozolomide daily for 6 weeks. Patients then receive adjuvant oral temozolomide alone on days 1-5 every 28 days for 6 courses beginning 4 weeks after completion of radiotherapy. Quality of life is assessed prior to the study, at week 4 during radiotherapy, at 4 weeks after completion of radiotherapy, at the end of courses 3 and 6 of adjuvant chemotherapy (arm II), and then every 3 months until disease progression. Patients are followed every 3 months until disease progression or death.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 520 patients (260 per treatment arm) will be accrued for this study within 3.5 years.

• Drug: temozolomide
• Radiation: radiation therapy

• Stupp R, Hegi ME, Mason WP, van den Bent MJ, Taphoorn MJ, Janzer RC, Ludwin SK, Allgeier A, Fisher B, Belanger K, Hau P, Brandes AA, Gijtenbeek J, Marosi C, Vecht CJ, Mokhtari K, Wesseling P, Villa S, Eisenhauer E, Gorlia T, Weller M, Lacombe D, Cairncross JG, Mirimanoff RO; on behalf of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Brain Tumour and Radiation Oncology Groups; the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group. Effects of radiotherapy with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide versus radiotherapy alone on survival in glioblastoma in a randomised phase III study: 5-year analysis of the EORTC-NCIC trial. Lancet Oncol. 2009 Mar 6; [Epub ahead of print]
• Gorlia T, van den Bent MJ, Hegi ME, Mirimanoff RO, Weller M, Cairncross JG, Eisenhauer E, Belanger K, Brandes AA, Allgeier A, Lacombe D, Stupp R. Nomograms for predicting survival of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma: prognostic factor analysis of EORTC and NCIC trial 26981-22981/CE.3. Lancet Oncol. 2007 Dec 12; [Epub ahead of print]
• Mauer M, Stupp R, Taphoorn MJ, Coens C, Osoba D, Marosi C, Wong R, de Witte O, Cairncross JG, Efficace F, Mirimanoff RO, Forsyth P, van den Bent MJ, Weller M, Bottomley A. The prognostic value of health-related quality-of-life data in predicting survival in glioblastoma cancer patients: results from an international randomised phase III EORTC Brain Tumour and Radiation Oncology Groups, and NCIC Clinical Trials Group study. Br J Cancer. 2007 Jul 3; [Epub ahead of print]
• Mirimanoff RO, Gorlia T, Mason W, Van den Bent MJ, Kortmann RD, Fisher B, Reni M, Brandes AA, Curschmann J, Villa S, Cairncross G, Allgeier A, Lacombe D, Stupp R. Radiotherapy and temozolomide for newly diagnosed glioblastoma: recursive partitioning analysis of the EORTC 26981/22981-NCIC CE3 phase III randomized trial. J Clin Oncol. 2006 Jun 1;24(16):2563-9.
• Cohen MH, Johnson JR, Pazdur R. Food and Drug Administration Drug approval summary: temozolomide plus radiation therapy for the treatment of newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme. Clin Cancer Res. 2005 Oct 1;11(19 Pt 1):6767-71.
• Hegi ME, Diserens AC, Gorlia T, Hamou MF, de Tribolet N, Weller M, Kros JM, Hainfellner JA, Mason W, Mariani L, Bromberg JE, Hau P, Mirimanoff RO, Cairncross JG, Janzer RC, Stupp R. MGMT gene silencing and benefit from temozolomide in glioblastoma. N Engl J Med. 2005 Mar 10;352(10):997-1003.
• Stupp R, Mason WP, van den Bent MJ, Weller M, Fisher B, Taphoorn MJ, Belanger K, Brandes AA, Marosi C, Bogdahn U, Curschmann J, Janzer RC, Ludwin SK, Gorlia T, Allgeier A, Lacombe D, Cairncross JG, Eisenhauer E, Mirimanoff RO; European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Brain Tumor and Radiotherapy Groups; National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group. Radiotherapy plus concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide for glioblastoma. N Engl J Med. 2005 Mar 10;352(10):987-96.
• Taphoorn MJ, Stupp R, Coens C, Osoba D, Kortmann R, van den Bent MJ, Mason W, Mirimanoff RO, Baumert BG, Eisenhauer E, Forsyth P, Bottomley A; European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Brain Tumour Group; EORTC Radiotherapy Group; National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group. Health-related quality of life in patients with glioblastoma: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet Oncol. 2005 Dec;6(12):937-44.
• Ataman F, Poortmans P, Stupp R, Fisher B, Mirimanoff RO. Quality assurance of the EORTC 26981/22981; NCIC CE3 intergroup trial on radiotherapy with or without temozolomide for newly-diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme: the individual case review. Eur J Cancer. 2004 Jul;40(11):1724-30.
• Lamers LM, Stupp R, van den Bent MJ, Al MJ, Gorlia T, Wasserfallen JB, Mittmann N, Jin Seung S, Crott R, Uyl-de Groot CA. Cost-effectiveness of temozolomide for the treatment of newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme : a report from the EORTC 26981/22981 NCI-C CE3 Intergroup Study. Cancer. 2008 Jan 22; [Epub ahead of print]
• Mason WP, Cairncross JG. Drug Insight: temozolomide as a treatment for malignant glioma--impact of a recent trial. Nat Clin Pract Neurol. 2005 Dec;1(2):88-95. Review.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically confirmed newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme by biopsy or surgical resection Grade IV disease Initial diagnosis no greater than 6 weeks prior to study

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 to 70 Performance status: WHO 0-2 Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm3 Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 Hepatic: Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) AST or ALT less than 2.5 times ULN Alkaline phosphatase less than 2.5 times ULN No chronic hepatitis B or C Renal: Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN Other: Not pregnant or nursing Negative pregnancy test Fertile patients must use effective contraception No known HIV infection No medical condition that would interfere with oral medication intake (e.g., frequent vomiting or partial bowel obstruction) No other prior or concurrent malignancy except surgically cured carcinoma in situ of the cervix or nonmelanoma skin cancer No serious medical, psychological, familial, sociological, or geographical condition that would preclude study

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: No concurrent filgrastim (G-CSF), sargramostim (GM-CSF), or epoetin alfa No concurrent biologic therapy No concurrent immunotherapy Chemotherapy: No prior chemotherapy No other concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: At least 14 days of prior corticosteroids at a stable dose required Concurrent corticosteroids allowed Radiotherapy: No prior radiotherapy No concurrent stereotactic boost radiotherapy Surgery: See Disease Characteristics No concurrent surgery for tumor debulking Other: No other concurrent investigational drugs