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New treatment combination increases survival for some brain cancer patients – Clinical trial results could change standard of care 07
June
2004
TORONTO -
An international clinical trial supported by the Canadian Cancer Society has shown for the first time that adding a chemotherapy drug to standard radiation treatment can significantly increase survival for patients with an aggressive form of brain cancer. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most common forms of brain cancer. It is a fast-growing and difficult cancer to treat and the majority of GBM patients die within a year of their initial diagnosis. However, this study has found that close to 30 per cent of patients with GBM who were treated with a combination of the drug temozolomide (also called Temodal) and radiation therapy survived for two years or more compared to 10 per cent of patients who received radiation therapy alone. “Until now, there have been few treatment options for glioblastoma patients,” says Dr. Gregory Cairncross, one of the study’s primary investigators and head of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary in Alberta. “The results of this trial will dramatically improve treatment and outcome for many of these patients and will open the door to further trials to expand this treatment combination.” The results of the study are being presented today by lead investigator Dr. Roger Stupp, of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in New Orleans. The study involved 286 GBM patients who received the new temozolomide therapy and 287 GBM patients who received the standard radiation treatment. Patients who received the temozolomide therapy showed better average survival (15 versus 12 months) and better progression-free survival (7.2 versus 5 months) than the patients who did not receive temozolomide. The key to the new therapy’s effectiveness, says Dr. Cairncross, is that temozolomide causes very few side effects and is well tolerated by patients. This means patients can take the drug every day during their radiation treatment instead of once every eight weeks – the common dosage for other chemotherapy drugs. “Clinical trials are a crucial part of our fight against cancer,” says Dr. Barb Whylie, CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society. “This discovery is a major step forward in our ability to treat a brain cancer that has taken a tremendous toll on Canadians.” More than 80 institutions throughout Canada, Europe and Australia participated in this clinical trial. Dr. Cairncross led a Canadian component of the trial on behalf of the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group, which is funded by the Canadian Cancer Society. Dr. Cairncross is founder and co-chair of the Group’s brain cancer committee and was responsible for coordinating Canadian participation in the study. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) led the study overall. An estimated 2,300 Canadians will be diagnosed with brain cancer this year and close to 1,600 Canadians will die from the disease. GBM accounts for almost 50 per cent of all brain cancers. The National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group, based at Queen’s University, is one of the national programs and networks of the Canadian Cancer Society. With Society funding, the Clinical Trials Group has participated in many groundbreaking trails that have helped to change treatment methods or improve quality of life for cancer patients. The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is to eradicate cancer and to enhance the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more about cancer, visit our website www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free, bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333. -30- For more information, please contact: Carmen Kinniburgh Communications Canadian Cancer Society, National office Phone:
(416) 934-5684
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