Question: Do carmustine wafers improve survival of glioblastoma patients?

Context:
At recurrence, treatment options include repeat surgery (with or without Gliadel wafer placement), reirradiation or systemic therapy. 
DISCUSSION: Carmustine wafers for primary HGG surgery in accordance with the NICE TA121 were associated with a median survival of 15.3 months; this is improved compared with previously reported randomised trials. Multimodal treatment with carmustine wafers, radical radiotherapy and concomitant temozolomide was associated with improved survival.
Gliadel wafer is a new approach to the treatment of glioblastoma, which involves controlled release delivery of carmustine from biodegradable polymer wafers. It has shown promising results and provides a silver lining for glioblastoma patients.
For patient with and without Gliadel, median and 1-year RFS were 12.9 months and 52% vs. 14 months and 42%, respectively (p = 0.89).
According to pathology, Gliadel did not influence OS of patients with Grade III or glioblastoma
CONCLUSION: In patients with high-grade gliomas, adding Gliadel before performing a Stupp protocol did not improve survival.
Randomized phase III trials have shown significant improvement of survival 1, 2, and 3 years after implantation of 1,3-bis (2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) wafers for patients with newly diagnosed malignant glioma. 
CONCLUSIONS: The combination of aggressive resection, Gliadel wafer implantation, and GKS in addition to standard fractionated RT in selected patients resulted in increased local control and increased survival compared with a historical control group treated with surgery and involved-field RT alone.
OBJECT: Gliadel (BCNU) wafer and concomitant temozolomide (TMZ) therapy, when used individually as adjuvant therapies, extend survival from that achieved by resection and radiation therapy (XRT) for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). 
BACKGROUND: Gliadel (polifeprosan 20 with carmustine [BCNU] implant) is commonly used for local delivery of BCNU to high-grade gliomas after resection and is associated with increased survival.
Temozolomide administered according to this protocol produced a median survival benefit of 2 months in glioblastomas, and carmustine a similar benefit in high-grade gliomas.
Analysis of a large trial by Westphal and colleagues (n = 240) showed a 29% risk reduction (P = 0.03) in the BCNU wafer-treated group over the course of the 30-month trial.
Median survival of patients treated with BCNU wafers was 13.8 months vs 11.6 months in placebo-treated patients (P = 0.017) with a hazard ratio of 0.73 (P = 0.018), representing a 27% significant risk reduction. This survival advantage was maintained at 1, 2, and 3 years and was statistically significant (P = 0.01) at 3 years.
CONCLUSION: Malignant glioma patients treated with BCNU wafers at the time of initial surgery in combination with radiation therapy demonstrated a survival advantage at 2 and 3 years follow-up compared with placebo.
OBJECTIVE: Recently a randomized placebo-controlled phase III trial of biodegradable polymers containing carmustine has demonstrated a significant survival benefit for patients treated with local chemotherapy. 
CONCLUSION: In this subgroup analysis of a phase III trial population both the clinical progression and radiological progression were significantly delayed in patients treated with local chemotherapy, resulting in an increased survival time.
A previous placebo-controlled trial has shown that biodegradable 1,3-bis (2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) wafers (Gliadel wafers) prolong survival in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme. A previously completed phase 3 trial, also placebo controlled, in 32 patients with newly diagnosed malignant glioma also demonstrated a survival benefit in those patients treated with BCNU wafers.
Median survival in the intent-to-treat group was 13.9 months for the BCNU wafer-treated group and 11.6 months for the placebo-treated group (log-rank P -value stratified by country = 0.03), with a 29% reduction in the risk of death in the treatment group. When adjusted for factors affecting survival, the treatment effect remained positive with a risk reduction of 28% ( P = 0.03). 
Controlled release delivery of carmustine from biodegradable polymer wafers was approved as an adjunct to surgical resection in the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma multiforme after it was shown in clinical trials to be well tolerated and effective. 
Clinical trials have demonstrated significant improvements in survival and quality of life for patients after complete tumour resection and BCNU wafer implantation.
BCNU wafers are an effective means of increasing survival and quality of life in patients diagnosed with malignant glioma, and are a valuable addition to the overall multimodal treatment strategy for these tumours.
CONCLUSIONS: Carmustine wafer with concurrent TMZ and radiation followed by rotational chemotherapy is a well tolerated, effective therapy, and has a survival benefit compared with radiation alone.
Median overall survival in 14 studies of newly-diagnosed patients suggested a modest improvement versus resection followed by Stupp protocol or resection with BCNU wafers, with an acceptable and manageable safety profile.
The efficacy of carmustine wafers for older patients with glioblastoma multiforme: prolonging survival.
DISCUSSION: Older patients with GBM may benefit from carmustine wafers. The survival for older patients who received carmustine wafers is significantly longer than matched patients who did not receive carmustine wafers.
For glioblastoma patients who received ≥90% resection in the BCNU wafer study, median survival increased for BCNU wafer versus placebo (14.5 versus 12.4 months, respectively; P = 0.02), but no survival increase was found for <90% resection (11.7 versus 10.6 months, respectively; P = 0.98).
A wafer impregnated with carmustine, for use as an implant after surgical removal of recurrent GBM showed a prolongation in the median survival time of only 2 mo, from 20 to 28 wk in a study with a total of 222 patients. 
No clear survival benefit associated with wafer implantation was identified.
In three of the trials, patients with GBM who received carmustine wafers had significantly longer median survival than patients who did not receive wafers. 
TMZ and carmustine (BCNU) biodegradable wafer (Gliadel) are the only adjuvant chemotherapies that have improved survival in randomised GB clinical trials . 
The carmustine implant wafer was demonstrated to improve survival in blinded placebo-controlled trials in selected patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent malignant glioma, with little increased risk of adverse events. 
For patients undergoing repeat resection for malignant glioma, a randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial demonstrated a median survival for 110 patients who received carmustine polymers of 31 weeks compared with 23 weeks for 122 patients who only received placebo polymers.
Median survival was improved from 11.6 to 13.9 months (P = 0.03), with a 29% reduction in the risk of death. When patients with glioblastoma multiforme alone were analyzed, the median survival improved from 11.4 to 13.5 months, but this improvement was not statistically significant. 
OBJECT: Locoregional chemotherapy with carmustine wafers, positioned at surgery and followed by radiation therapy, has been shown to prolong survival in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma, as has concomitant radiochemotherapy with temozolomide.
Following the resection of newly diagnosed or recurrent glioblastomas, local implantation of carmustine-impregnated biodegradable wafers (Gliadel) in the resection cavity constitutes an adjuvant therapy that can improve the possibilities of survival.
The carmustine implant wafer was demonstrated to improve survival in blinded placebo-controlled trials in selected patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent malignant glioma, with little increased risk of adverse events.
However, patients with carmustine wafers demonstrated prolonged survival as compared to patients without wafers.
The median survival for patients with carmustine wafers was 8.7 months, while median survival for patients without wafers was 5.5 months (P=0.007).
Likewise, in subgroup analysis, patients older than 70 years (P=0.0003) and 75 years (P=0.04) who had carmustine wafers had significantly longer survival than matched patients without wafers.
Implantation of carmustine wafers did not significantly improve progression-free survival
In three of the trials, patients with GBM who received carmustine wafers had significantly longer median survival than patients who did not receive wafers
A previous placebo-controlled trial has shown that biodegradable 1,3-bis (2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) wafers (Gliadel wafers) prolong survival in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme
A previously completed phase 3 trial, also placebo controlled, in 32 patients with newly diagnosed malignant glioma also demonstrated a survival benefit in those patients treated with BCNU wafers
Following the resection of newly diagnosed or recurrent glioblastomas, local implantation of carmustine-impregnated biodegradable wafers (Gliadel) in the resection cavity constitutes an adjuvant therapy that can improve the possibilities of survival
Multimodal treatment with carmustine wafers, radical radiotherapy and concomitant temozolomide was associated with improved survival
The carmustine implant wafer was demonstrated to improve survival in blinded placebo-controlled trials in selected patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent malignant glioma, with little increased risk of adverse events
TMZ and carmustine (BCNU) biodegradable wafer (Gliadel) are the only adjuvant chemotherapies that have improved survival in randomised GB clinical trials 

Answer: Yes, it has been documented that implantation of carmustine wafers improves survival of newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma patients.
Exact answer: yes