The impact of improved treatment strategies on overall survival in glioblastoma patients. This is one of the most important articles of the year. First, it shows that adding Temodar at the same time as radiation will double overall survival times compared to using radiation without Temodar.. We already knew that but it is nice to see it confirmed. The new part is that using a dye called 5-ALA at the time of surgery (that allows the surgeon to see where the tumor is) adds another 3.5 months to the average survival time.. and in those cases where it allows for a complete resection, it adds another 11 months.
This dye is approved in Europe and used as a standard treatment for years. Getting it approved here in the USA would be a big step foward. 3.5 months might not seem like much, but it can buy the time for other treatments to work.
