Brain Cancer

Eflornithine (α-Difluoromethylornithine) has been investigated for over 30 years as a potential neuro-oncology agent and shown activity against recurrent gliomas, but it has not gained approval as a therapy option for patients with cancer. Investigators are looking to change that with the phase III STELLAR trial (NCT02796261).

The combination of nivolumab plus radiation therapy compared with temozolomide did not improve overall survival in patients with newly diagnosed O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase-unmethylated glioblastoma multiforme, missing the coprimary endpoint of the phase III CheckMate-498 trial.

Martin J. van den Bent, MD, professor, Neuro-Oncology, Erasmus MC-Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, the Netherlands, discusses the combination of temozolomide (Temodal) and depatuxizumab mafodotin (depatux-m) in the treatment of patients with glioblastoma.

David A. Reardon, MD, clinical director, Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses the safety and efficacy data of an immunotherapy combination in glioblastoma.

David A. Reardon, MD, clinical director, Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses a personalized neoantigen-targeting vaccine for patients with glioblastoma.

Daniela Bota, MD, PhD, medical director, Neuro-Oncology Program, associate professor, Neurology School of Medicine, UC Irvine Health, discusses marizomib for the treatment of patients with glioma.

Martin J. van den Bent, MD, professor, Neuro-Oncology, Erasmus MC-Daniel den Hoed Cancer Center, the Netherlands, discusses the INTELLANCE 2 trial for recurrent glioblastoma.

Tumor-treating field therapy, which uses low-intensity electrical fields to disrupt cancer cell division and promote cell death, has gained a frontline approval in glioblastoma. Several pivotal clinical trials have been launched to determine whether the technology can help patients with other solid tumors.

Rachel Grossman, MD, Neurosurgery Department, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, discusses tumor treating fields for the treatment of patients with glioblastoma.

Evangelia Razis, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, Hygeia Hospital, Athens, Greece, discusses the significance of TERT mutations in the presence of NF1 mutations in patients with glioblastoma (GBM).

David A. Reardon, MD, clinical director, Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discusses pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and bevacizumab (Avastin) for the treatment of patients with recurrent PD-L1–positive glioblastoma.

Evangelia Razis, MD, PhD, medical oncologist, Hygeia Hospital, Athens, Greece, discusses the importance of molecular targeting for patients with glioblastoma.

Santhosh Upadhyaya, MD, neuro-oncologist, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, discusses radiation therapy for young children under the age of 3 who have ependymoma.

Treatment with the recombinant oncolytic poliovirus PVSRIPO elicited sustained a 2- and 3-year overall survival (OS) rate of 21% (95% CI, 11%-33%) for patients with recurrent grade IV malignant glioblastoma.

Carboxyamidotriazole orotate in combination with temozolomide, with or without radiotherapy, produced positive safety and efficacy results in a phase Ib study of patients with glioblastoma or anaplastic gliomas.

The NCCN has added the combination of TTFields (Optune) and temozolomide (Temodar) to its guidelines for Category 1 treatment of newly diagnosed glioblastoma following maximal safe resection and completion of radiation therapy.

Investigators are seeking to determine whether the combination of eflornithine with lomustine can improve survival for patients with recurrent anaplastic astrocytoma.

Treatment with the investigational agent DNX-2401 resulted in 20% of a cohort of patients with recurrent malignant glioma surviving more than 3 years from the time of treatment.