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IBTA e-News
The monthly bulletin for our
international brain tumour community
June 2016
Headline news
This month has been a particularly busy one for brain tumour-related news,
owing to various conferences. We hope that you find this longer-than-usual
e-News helpful and, as always, we value your feedback.
“We’ve reached an inflection point in our fight against cancer”
announces US Vice President Biden at ASCO 2016
Speaking at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical
Oncology (ASCO 2016), held in Chicago from June 3 – 7, US Vice President Joe
Biden, whose son died of a brain tumour, said that greater collaboration and a
“change in mind-set” is key to achieving the US government’s “Cancer
Moonshot” initiative’s goal of finding vaccine-based immunotherapies against
cancer. “It requires a lot more openness – open data, open collaboration and
above all, open minds,” he said. The speech coincided with the official launch of
the Genomic Data Commons, a public database for clinical genomic data that is
overseen and funded by the National Cancer Institute. Read more. (Video
available here.) This year’s Brain Tumour magazine also features an article by
Dr Anna D. Barker, which discusses the groundbreaking GBM AGILE Trial, and
pictures Vice President Joe Biden with key leaders of the trial. Read the article
on our website here.
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Two studies find that elderly glioblastoma patients live longer
with combined chemotherapy and radiation
Results from a randomised clinical trial reported at ASCO 2016 have found that
glioblastoma patients aged over 65 have significantly increased survival with
combined radiation therapy and temozolomide chemotherapy, compared to
either radiation therapy or chemotherapy given alone. 562 patients were
recruited in the trial: one-year and two-year survival rates were 37.8% and
10.4% with combined chemoradiotherapy, versus 22.2% and 2.8% with
radiation therapy alone. Read more. (A more detailed article discussing these
findings is available here.) Separate research published in JAMA
Neurology which analysed records of 16,717 elderly glioblastoma patients from
the US National Cancer Database also found that combined radiation and
chemotherapy improved survival (9.0 months), compared to either
radiotherapy (4.7 months) or chemotherapy (4.3 months) alone. Read more.
Study gives evidence to treat grade 3 anaplastic glioma with
chemotherapy following radiotherapy
Findings from the phase 3 CATNON trial have shown that giving temozolomide
after radiation therapy improves survival in anaplastic glioma without 1p/19q
gene deletions (a marker for poorer response to chemotherapy). Estimated
five-year survival in patients who received adjuvant temozolomide was 56%
compared to 44% who did not, and disease progression was delayed by more
than two years with adjuvant chemotherapy. “Until this study, doctors had no
evidence to support the use of adjuvant temozolomide in patients with grade 3
anaplastic glioma,” said Prof. Martin J. van den Bent at ASCO 2016. Read
more. (An interview with Prof van den Bent is available here.)
ASCO 2016: New WHO classification of brain tumours will
“optimise patient treatment”
Four posters at ASCO 2016 considered the impact that the new WHO brain
tumour classification (covered on the IBTA website here) will have on the
diagnostic criteria of brain tumours and how they will provide the basis for
clinical trial enrolment. Discussing these posters, Dr Howard Colman,
Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, USA, said that “to optimise
patient treatment going forward,” the neuro-oncology field needs “to extract as
much information as possible using the new classification from prior
retrospective data sets.” Read more.
Treatment news
Play-based preparation reduces need for sedation in children
with brain tumours undergoing radiotherapy
A study published in Supportive Care in Cancer has concluded that play-based
preparation prior to radiotherapy for brain tumours is associated with less need
for sedation and significantly reduced healthcare costs. The authors conclude
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that a play-based developmental specialist may be a crucial component of costeffective healthcare in paediatric brain tumour care. Read more.
NHS to double the number of patients who receive stereotactic
radiosurgery and stereotactic radiotherapy
The National Health Service (NHS) in England has announced new contracts for
stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) across
multiple centres as part of the organisation’s Cancer Strategy, with over 6,200
patients a year set to benefit from the treatments by 2018/19. Stereotactic
procedures are designed to destroy tumour tissue more efficiently than
conventional radiotherapy by delivering narrow radiation beams to tumours
from multiple angles; SRS delivers radiation in a single dose, SRT in several
smaller doses. Read more.
Research news
Trial shows that microbubble and implanted ultrasound device
combination disrupts blood-brain barrier in glioblastoma
patients
Interim results of an ongoing phase 1/2a clinical trial, published in Science
Translational Medicine, have shown that a pulsed ultrasound device, implanted
into the skull, successfully disrupted the blood-brain barrier long enough for
chemotherapy to reach the brain. At regular intervals, a microbubble injection
was given to the 15 glioblastoma patients undergoing monthly chemotherapy
and the device was activated. No ill effects were observed and MRI scans
showed opening of the blood brain barrier. The trial continues. Read more.
Eight genes may predict outcome in glioblastoma, finds study
Research published in Neurology has identified eight genes which are involved
in the immune system that have a high association with outcome in
glioblastoma: three genes were linked with increased protection (FOX03,
ZBTB16, AIMP1) and five were associated with a poor outcome (IL6, IL10,
CCL18, AIMP1, FCGR2B, MMP9). The researchers from China analysed the
genes from 297 cases of glioma taken from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas
(CGGA) database, concluding that testing for these genes “could independently
identify patients with a high risk of reduced survival”. Read more.
Existing drug derived from Indian plant may have role in
glioblastoma treatment, research study reports
A research study published in the Journal of Cellular Physiology has proposed
that the drug flavopiridol has the potential to be a glioblastoma treatment
when given in combination with other therapies by preventing tumour cells
from processing sugar. The drug, derived from an alkaloid from the stems of a
plant indigenous to India, has been investigated in a variety of cancers and
medical conditions for over twenty years, but with mostly disappointing results
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to date. Read more.
Study points toward high vitamin E levels as risk factor for
glioblastoma
Analysis of blood samples from 110 people who went on to develop
glioblastoma has found high levels of vitamin E (α-tocopherol and
γ-tocopherol), when compared to an equal number of samples from people
who did not. Published in Oncotarget, the authors note that blood vitamin E
levels do not necessarily relate to dietary intake. A variety of other antioxidant
substances were also associated with increased glioblastoma risk (including
erythritol, erythronic acid, myo-inositol, cystine, 2-keto-L-gluconic acid,
hypoxanthine and xanthine). The researchers conclude that this exploratory
study warrants further investigation. Read more.
Now recruiting: new clinical trial of immunotherapy for
childhood DIPG tumours
A pilot trial in Spain of dendritic cell (DC) vaccination is now recruiting children
with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). The treatment involves extracting
and ‘training’ patients’ dendritic cells (a type of immune cell) to attack the
tumour, before reinjecting them. The trial of 10 patients to establish the safety
and feasibility of the treatment is being organised by a research group at
Hospital Sant Joan de Deu (Barcelona, Spain) in collaboration with the
Immunology Unit at Hospital Clinic (Barcelona, Spain). For more information,
please email Andres Morales, MD at [email protected].
International trial for child and young adult ependymoma
launches in the UK
A five-year trial that seeks to recruit 150 young people (up to age 22) with
ependymoma is being launched in the UK. Patients will be grouped according to
the treatment they receive with the aim of identifying optimal treatment, the
results of which will be fed into a larger international trial involving 16
European countries. Read more.
University education and better pay linked to brain tumour
diagnosis, study finds
Research published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health has
found an association between brain tumour diagnosis and university education,
higher disposable income, and a professional or managerial job. Widely
reported in the media and attracting controversy, the study monitored 4.3
million Swedes born between 1911 and 1961 for a 17-year period (1993 to
2010). The authors conclude that “completeness of cancer registration and
detection bias are potential explanations for the findings”. Read more.
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Study tracks evolution of glioblastoma tumours
In a research paper published in Nature Genetics, analysis of the genetic
evolution of glioblastoma tumours in 114 patients has clarified how cancer cells
within a tumour adapt to treatment. The research observed how small numbers
of cells with resistance to specific therapies multiply and predominate over
time, ultimately resulting in recurrence. According to the authors, these data
may help better predict patient outcomes and develop tumour-specific
treatments. Read more.
Research points to link between dopamine and glioblastoma
A study examining the effects of 580 neurochemicals on glioblastoma stem
cells (the cells believed to drive tumour growth) has found that substances that
trigger a specific dopamine receptor, DRD4, drive tumour growth. Published in
Cancer Cell, other substances that activated different neurochemical signalling
pathways (serotoninergic and cholinergic) were also found to promote growth,
while drugs that blocked the DRD4 receptor inhibited tumour growth,
suggesting DRD4 as a potential target for future therapies. Read more.
Phase 1 trial shows longer survival with Toca 511 and Toca FC
in recurrent glioblastoma
Published in Science Translational Medicine, results from a phase 1 trial of Toca
511 and Toca FC, a modified virus that carries a gene into tumour cells
combined with a drug that targets the modified tumour cells, has shown
increased survival in patients with recurrent glioblastoma who received the
treatment (7.1 vs 3.6 months). The trial indicated that treatment was safe and
well tolerated by patients. A phase 2/3 trial of the therapy is currently
recruiting. Read more.
Preliminary results: study says that pembrolizumab
immunotherapy is safe when given alongside bevacizumab
(Avastin) and radiotherapy in recurrent glioblastoma or
anaplastic astrocytoma
Presented at ASCO 2016, preliminary data from an ongoing phase 1 clinical
trial, which has six patients currently enrolled, has found that the anti-PD1
immunotherapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is safe when given alongside
bevacizumab and hypofractionated stereotactic radiation therapy (HFSRT). Two
of the patients receiving the combined therapy maintained stable disease and
one patient showed a ‘complete response’. Read more.
Checkpoint inhibitors nivolumab and ipilimumab safe in
ongoing recurrent glioblastoma trial, study reports
Results from the CheckMate-143 trial, presented at ASCO 2016, have shown
that nivolumab (Opdivo) is safe when given alone or in combination with
ipilimumab (Yervoy) in recurrent glioblastoma. Adverse effects were highest in
the group who received both of the checkpoint inhibitors, and progression-free
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survival was also greatest with combined treatment (9.3 vs 1.9 months). Read
more. In an interview with Targeted Oncology, Dr David Reardon, physician
and clinical director of the Center for Neuro-oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute, Boston, USA, discusses these findings and those of the above
pembrolizumab (Keytruda) study here.
Company news
Triphase Accelerator announces “clinical benefit” from phase 1
trial of marizomib and bevacizumab in glioblastoma
Results from a phase 1 trial of marizomib (MRZ) in combination with
bevacizumab (Avastin) were presented at ASCO 2016, showing that the
therapy was well tolerated and, of the 36 patients in the study, 25 patients
achieved clinical benefit. Triphase Accelerator has announced plans to progress
to a phase 2 trial. Read more (company press release).
Positive results of phase 1 trial of AbbVie’s ABT-414 prompt
plans for phase 2 trial
At ASCO 2016, AbbVie announced results from a phase 1 recurrent
glioblastoma trial of ABT-414, an antibody combined with a drug that targets
epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on tumour cells: 30% of patients
were progression-free after six months of therapy. According to the study there
were no toxicities that prevented treatment, but there were frequent reversible
side-effects affecting the eyes reported. AbbVie has announced plans for a
phase 2 trial of ABT-414 in EGFR-amplified glioblastoma. Read more (company
press release).
Phase 2 study of VBL Therapeutics’ VB-111 shows increased
survival in recurrent glioblastoma
VBL Therapeutics announced at ASCO 2016 that a recurrent glioblastoma
phase 2 trial of VB-111, a gene therapy that targets brain tumour blood
vessels, has shown statistically significant increases in survival in the cohort of
46 patients, compared to previously published outcomes for treatment with
bevacizumab (Avastin) (59 weeks vs. 32 weeks). Read more (company press
release).
First patient treated with ImmunoCellular Therapeutics’ ICT-107
in newly diagnosed glioblastoma phase 3 trial
ImmunoCellular Therapeutics has announced that the first newly diagnosed
glioblastoma patient has been treated with ICT-107 in a randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled phase 3 clinical trial. ICT-107 is an autologous
(patient-derived) dendritic cell (DC) immunotherapy, whereby a patient’s white
blood cells are extracted and ‘trained’ to identify glioblastoma cells before
being reinjected. 414 patients who have HLA-A2 markers on their cells are to
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be enrolled on the trial, which is to be conducted at approximately 120 sites in
the US, Canada and the EU. Read more (company press release).
And in other news...
Video: the potential for immunotherapy to treat brain
metastases
In an online video, Dr Manmeet Ahluwalia, director of the Brain Metastases
Research Program at the Cleveland Clinic, USA, discusses the latest
immunotherapy research in relation to brain metastases. Brain metastases are
often treated with surgery and radiotherapy and have limited chemotherapy
options. Watch online here.
UK e-Petition calls for increased research into DIPG brain
tumours
A UK e-petition has been launched that is calling for more brain tumour
research into diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a tumour which typically
affects children aged 5 – 10 years old and has an average survival of 9
months. British citizens and UK residents can sign the petition and nearly
10,000 have already done so. At more than 10,000 signatures, the UK
government will respond to the petition and at 100,000 signatures, the petition
will be considered for debate in Parliament. Read more here.
Conferences: call for abstracts
European Cancer Conference (ECCO) 2017
27-30 January 2017
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Abstract submission deadline: 25 August, 2016 – Click here
Upcoming events
September
13th Annual Meeting of the Asian Society for Neuro-Oncology
11-15 September 2016
Sydney, NSW, Australia
9th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Co-operative Trials Group for NeuroOncology (COGNO)
11-15 September 2016
Sydney, NSW, Australia
Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) 2016 Annual Meeting
24-28 September 2016
San Diego, California, USA
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58th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)
2016
25-28 September 2016
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
October
European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2016 Congress
7-11 October 2016
Copenhagen, Denmark
The ESMO Patient Advocacy Track will be taking place concurrently from 7 to
10 October. Find out more here.
12th Congress of EANO
12-16 October 2016
Mannheim/Heidelberg, Germany
Keep up to date with future scientific conferences and events on the IBTA
website conferences page here. If you are aware of a brain tumour-relevant
conference, including any patient conferences, that we have not yet listed on
the IBTA website then please let us know.
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contained in this e-News (or in any documents, reports, notes or other material produced for and on behalf of
the IBTA to which we provide a link in this e-News). However, the IBTA accepts no liability for any
inaccuracies or omissions herein nor can it accept liability for any loss or damage resulting from any inaccuracy
in this information or third party information such as information on websites to which we link. The information
contained in this e-News is for educational purposes only and should in no way be taken as a substitute for
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services. For medical care and advice, please contact your doctor. Inclusion of clinical trial news does not imply
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