|
Chemotherapy for Recurrent Gliomas
Untitled Document
Name of the Trial
Phase I Study of Enzastaurin in Patients With Recurrent Gliomas (NCI-05-C-0136).
See the protocol summary.
Principal Investigator
 |
Dr. Howard A. Fine
Principal Investigator |
Dr. Howard A. Fine, Neuro-Oncology Branch, NCI Center for Cancer Research.
Why This Trial Is Important
Gliomas are the most common type of primary brain tumor diagnosed in adults.
Although they may be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy,
gliomas often come back (recur). The
prognosis for patients with recurrent gliomas
is very poor.
In this clinical trial, researchers are testing a new drug called enzastaurin
in patients whose glioma has recurred after previous radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Enzastaurin is an angiogenesis inhibitor, meaning it prevents tumors from developing
the new blood vessels they need for growth. In addition, enzastaurin has been
shown to have direct effects on tumor cells, inhibiting their proliferation
and stimulating apoptosis (cell
suicide). Researchers hope to determine how
much enzastaurin patients can receive before developing side effects severe
enough to interrupt treatment.
"In a previous trial of enzastaurin for high-grade, recurrent gliomas,
we observed very dramatic tumor responses, including some
complete responses,"
Dr. Fine said. "In addition, the drug has been very well tolerated by patients.
"Our research indicates that enzastaurin becomes more toxic to gliomas
cells with higher does, so we are conducting this trial to see how much enzastaurin
patients can tolerate. We hope to set a dose that will maximize the
cytotoxic potential of enzastaurin while maintaining a favorable toxicity profile in preparation
for a large, multinational
phase III clinical trial."
Contact Information
This study is no longer accepting new patients. To locate other clinical trials for brain cancer, search the
NCI database of clinical trials or the NCI Clinical Trials Referral Office toll-free
at 1-888-NCI-1937. This call is completely confidential.
 Back to Top |
