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Extent of resection and Carmustine wafer implantation safely improve survival in patients with a newly diagnosed glioblastoma: a single center experience of the current practice. Gliadel wafer is a biodegradable implant that slowly releases chemotherapy at the tumor site. It was approved on 1995 and it's popularity has waned. One of the main reasons is that many clinical trials said that using Gliadel wafer makes you ineligible for the trials. Some major brain tumor centers use this routinely on everyone who has a glioblastoma surgery, and others almost never use it. It is worth asking your surgeon about. This report shows that it is associated with longer progression free survival and overall survival.
One less thing to worry about!
If you are thinking about applying to our copay program, send in the paperwork as soon as possible!
This is a shame. There were long term survivors from the trials, and there were basically no side effects. Even if it helps 20% of the people, it is worth using. I hope they find a way to continue.
They are talking about the combination of Tarceva and Thalidomide. Looks good in the lab but needs to be tested in people. Both parts are approved for other diseases so they should be easy to get. I checked our virtual trial results. We had 2 glioblastoma patients who reported using that combination. (and 2 patients with other tumor types) . One died after 24 months, the other is alive at over 10 years. That is good - but you can not go by just 2 patients. If you try the combination, please join the virtual trial first so we can track it.
This is an important trial. In the phase 2 trial, on newly diagnosed GBM patients who only had biopsies - not subtotal resection or complete resection, they had "in patients with inoperable tumors, who demonstrated a 380 percent increase in survival at two years."
This is so important that I am including it in my presentation to the FDA next week as an example of a drug that needs to be approved quickly!
It is way too early to declare success but I love to see they are working on it.
Very interesting, because if it is found to help, it can be used immediately as it is already approved for other uses and can be used off label.
Interesting combination. I would guess the concept they are going after is that Avastin, when it fails, doesn't just stop working - it just doesn't work enough but still is slowing down the tumor. If you add Optune, perhaps the combination could be strong enough to stop the tumor. Hate to say, but it may make more sense to just start Optune at the start - right after radiation - on newly diagnosed people. For those that missed that opportunity, this trial makes sense.
[Disclaimer: Novocure is a sponor of our organizaiton]
This allows for a more complete resection! If you are going to have a brain tumor surgery, ask your neurosurgeon about this to see if it is appropriate for your case!
[Disclosure - this company is a sponsor of the Musella Foundation| It looks like the technology to get the drug in the correct spot at the right concentration is finally here. Follow the link in the press release to the background info on the delivery system. And this may be the right drug to use. In an earlier study, in recurrent GBM patients, they had a few complete responders, with some still alive 4 years later.
This is a major find. It may lead to a simple blood test to predict risk of developing a brain tumor - and perhaps even lead to research on how to stop the formation of the brain tumor if you know it is coming!
75% of pediatric DIPG patients have this - and there is a drug available against it which can be used off label. Hope they quickly start trials on DIPG kids.
Not enough attention is being paid to metastatic brain tumors. They are much more common than the primary brain tumors.
The Musella Foundation is listed as a sponsor of this research! Good work!
I would like to thanks all of the volunteers and participants in our "Natioanl Walk To End Brain Tumors" who made this possible, as well as the donors to our organization and the families that named us for memorial donations.
We had a good response when I announced this last week but there are still 10 more spots available! It is a 30 minute survey - you get paid $75, and the Musella Foundation gets a donation also!
This is the type of basic research that can lead to major advances!
These are some of the brightest minds in the field. Great to see them working together!
Very exciting - this is another way to modulate the immune system to help the body fight the cancer!
