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Our brain tumor treatment copay assistance program is now open to new (and renewal) patients again. This program can help cover: Optune, Avastin, Temodar, and Gleostine and their generics. If you think you may need help, apply ASAP as the program might not be open too long. Go to braintumorcopays.org for details and to apply!
The webinar we had scheduled for today ("Integrative Medicine for Patients with Primary Brain Tumors" on Wednesday, June 25) has been postponed - we will announce the new date soon! Apologies to all who had planned to attend!
Join us for our webinar this Wednesday, June 25th at 8pm ET with Dr. Nicholas Butowski. The topic is "Integrative Medicine for Patients with Primary Brain Tumors"
A large molecular analysis of 3,106 glioblastoma (GBM) tumor samples - including 571 from patients treated with bevacizumab (Avastin) - found that CDK4 amplification is a potential biomarker to identify patients who may derive prolonged benefit from bevacizumab. For more information on bevacizumab, you can visit our website!
Mark your calendars! Our next webinar is coming up on June 25, 2025 at 8pm ET with Dr. Nicholas Butowski on "Integrative Medicine for Patients with Primary Brain Tumors".
Our friends at the George Bartol Memorial Scholarship Fund are once again granting college scholarships to young adults whose parents have been diagnosed with brain cancer. To qualify, students must be between the ages of 18-23, be a full-time student at a 2 or 4 year university in the USA, and have a parent who has been diagnosed with or passed away from a primary brain tumor. To obtain a copy of the application, please send a message to the George Bartol Memorial Scholarship Fund page on Facebook.
Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is a minimally invasive surgical technique that uses laser energy to heat and destroy (ablate) targeted tissue. It has been used in focal epilepsy, brain tumors, and radiation necrosis. The two most commonly used FDA-cleared LITT systems in the U.S. are Visualase and NeuroBlate. The Visualase system just received FDA 510k clearance for its next-generation platform - the Visualase V2 - which includes updates to the system's hardware, software, and workflow. This new version may enhance the precision and usability of LITT and help expand access to this treatment option.
Last year, there was a lot of excitement around CAR T-cell therapy for recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) after a few early trials showed tumors shrinking. Many in the field were cautious, though, because the responses were transient. New results from a Phase 1 dose escalation CAR T trial for recurrent GBM at the University of Pennsylvania are helping to shed light on the potential for this therapy. Using dual-target CAR-T cells designed to hit two proteins found on GBM cells (EGFR and IL13Ra2), researchers saw tumors shrink in 62% of patients (8 of 13) who still had visible disease after surgery. Survival data for all patients treated thus far (n=18) is still accumulating, but several patients in the trial have lived 12 months or longer after receiving treatment, and one patient has had stable disease for over 16 months. The early cohorts in this study received only one CAR T-cell infusion, but future cohorts may receive more than one. There are also plans to investigate this treatment in the newly diagnosed setting. We'll be keeping an eye out for further updates from this study!
An abstract shared recently at the ASCO conference suggests that a new protocol involving the addition of metformin may improve outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed GBM. In this Phase 2 trial in Canada, 50 patients received metformin alongside temozolomide (TMZ) prior to surgery, during an accelerated radiation regimen (60 Gy in 4 weeks), and during 6 cycles of maintenance chemo, and were compared to 50 matched patients who received the standard Stupp protocol. The group treated with the investigational protocol had a significantly longer median survival time - 24.1 months compared to 17.7 months in the standard care group - as well as improved progression-free survival (13.7 months vs 11.0 months). Notably, patients with methylated MGMT tumors who also had a gross total resection saw even more dramatic benefits, with median survival reaching 41.9 months versus 17.8 months in matched controls.
This is interesting preclinical work showing that adding pemigatinib, a FGFR1-3 inhibitor, to tumor-treating fields (TTFields) reduced glioma stem cell (GSC) growth, survival, and clonogenicity in lab models. Adding radiation to the TTFields + pemigatinib combo also appeared to delay DNA damage repair, further enhancing the overall effect in some GSC lines. While this work is still early-stage, it could offer a new angle to overcoming TTFields therapy resistance.
This is for people who live in New York only. If you live elsewhere but know someone living in New York, forward this to them and ask them to do it for you!
It is time sensitive - the NYS legislature closes for the Summer on June 12. We need this done ASAP!
This is from our friends at IHeath and Wellness foundation. They are having a webinar this monday, June 9th at 5pm Eastern time, on pediatric neurofibromatosis. Speakers include Bonnie Kaur, a pediatric neuro-oncologist from New Yor Presbyterian. Go to https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSduwJCvWHNI061Qy4-iA_CSiL-EnPPdf-098BhezmK7xicyFA/viewform for details and to register.
Preclinical studies recently published in Neuro-Oncology showed that an investigational circadian-targeting drug, SHP1705, impaired glioblastoma (GBM) stem cell survival, enhanced response to radiation, and slowed tumor growth in animal models. A phase I trial in healthy volunteers confirmed safety, and there are now plans for an upcoming phase II trial in GBM patients. Researchers are also exploring combinations with other circadian-targeting drugs, which may further improve the potential impact.
Join us this Thursday, May 29th at 6pm ET for our last webinar of the month! "Advancement of B7-H3 targeting CAR T cells against pediatric brain and spinal cord tumors" with Dr. Nicholas Vitanza. All of the recent webinar recordings are posted in our video library!
Next month, we have "Integrative Medicine for Patients with Primary Brain Tumors" with Dr. Nicholas Butowski on Wednesday, June 25th at 8pm ET!
We had a technical issue sending out the news blast last week, so we apologize in advance if you receive a duplicate issue today.
We added a new webinar to our May lineup! In partnership with Mt. Sinai, please join us for "Empowering Brain Tumor Patients: Taking Control Through Knowledge, Support, and the Latest in Treatment Options" this Wednesday, May 21 at 5-6pm ET. This webinar will not be in our Zoom room; you can register here Mt Sinai webinar room.
Our final May webinar will be Thursday, May 29 at 6pm ET, "Advancement of B7-H3 targeting CAR T cells against pediatric brain and spinal cord tumors" with Dr. Nicholas Vitanza
Looking ahead, we also have an exciting webinar scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, 2025 (8pm ET) "Integrative Medicine for Patients with Primary Brain Tumors" with Dr. Nicholas Butowski
A new study suggests that postoperative gabapentin, a neuromodulator usually taken for nerve pain, may improve overall survival in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Across two cohorts totaling 1,072 patients, those who received gabapentin lived a median of 4 months longer at Mass General Brigham and 6 months longer at UCSF compared to those who did not. Gabapentin targets TSP-1, a synaptogenic protein implicated in tumor progression. Importantly, the study findings showed that gabapentin use was associated with reduced serum TSP-1 levels. The study has limitations, including a retrospective design and variability in dosing across patients, but hopefully future prospective trials confirm these results and explore optimal dosing.
Congratulations and thank you to everyone who participated in the annual Minnesota Brain Tumor 5k over the weekend. The event was a big success, and all of the funds raised will be used exclusively for brain tumor research. Special thank you to event co-chair Melissa Dickhausen who helped share the event on the news!
Previously, craniectomy (removing a small portion of the skull) had been shown to increase penetration of tumor-treating fields (TTF) into the brain. However, the factors that modulate this effect were still unknown. This recent article shows that the biomaterials used to fill the opening, the gross tumor volume relative to the opening size, and the amount of edema around the tumor are important factors. These insights may help optimize the application of TTFields for better treatment results in the future.
The 16th Annual Minnesota Brain Tumor 5K is this weekend! Event co-chair, Melissa Dickhausen, did a fantastic job sharing the event and raising awareness about brain tumors on the news. For more information about the event or to sign up, click here!
