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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!
This is another market research survey. The Musella Foundation gets a donation from them when patients take the survey. They recently donated $2,500 to us, as well as paying each participant $70. Not bad for 30 minutes of your time! Let me know if you take the survey!
Until recently, this did not matter much, but as we get closer to treatments that can work on patients with unmethylated MGMT, this becomes of utmost importance. To recap: MGMT is a repair enzyme that can fix the damage caused by Temozolomide, making the cells resistant to Temozolomide. "Methylation of MGMT" means that the gene that codes for the MGMT repair enzyme is blocked so it cannot make the MGMT enzyme - which gives a better result for Temozolomide. "Unmethylated MGMT" thus means that the gene is not blocked, and it makes the repair enzyme, so Temozolomide has much less chance of helping. The controversy is that most tests do not say you are 100% methylated or unmethylated. It is open to interpretation of where the cutoff between methylated and unmethylated lies. Pathology labs should show the % of methylated cells in addition to the label of unmethylated or methylated, as this cutoff value can change.
This is one of the most exciting treatments in the pipeline, but it is only 1 patient. We will keep an eye on this.
Very impressive long term results. from phase 1 trials.
Disclaimer: Tocagen is a sponsor of the Musella Foundation
This is a different way to give Avastin - directly into an artery. One case doesn't prove anything but it is very nice to see.
This is proof of concept - that kids (aged 10-20) can at least tolerate the treatment.
I love this kind of combination - tries to cover all of the bases. I wish them luck. However, I am trying to change the system - it should be legal for a doctor to try this type of combination outside of trials. What happens if they determine that a different drug might do better if they switch it out for the one they chose now? It is back to the drawing board - design and set up another trial - waste a year or 2, and loads of money. There is a better way.
