The effects of etoposide on body weight, regional weights, and the concentrations of putrescine, spermidine and spermine in the cerebellum, hippocampus, corpus striatum, cortex, the combined regions of the thalamus and hypothalamus and the diencephalon of the brain were examined in rats. Etoposide seems to be a better choice for management of cortical and hippocampal tumors because it reduces polyamines, which are associated with tumor cell growth, but not for the management of tumors of the diencephalon and corpus striatum because it increases polyamines.