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Antiretrovirals and Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy for the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Unresectable High-Grade Gliomas, STARLITE Trial

Trial Status: active

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of ritonavir in combination with abacavir and lamivudine as well as laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) in treating patients with newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas that cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable). Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a group of medicines, such as, ritonavir, abacavir and lamivudine, that are used to treat viral infections. Since some antiviral medicines are able to stop cells from multiplying, these medicines are sometimes used to treat cancer. LITT destroys and damages glioma cells by heating them with a laser. LITT may have the ability to temporarily change the brain’s defense systems to activate specialized cells in the body that find and destroy infections and can also find and kill tumor cells. Giving LITT and ART with ritonavir, abacavir and lamivudine may be safe, tolerable and/or effective in treating patients with newly diagnosed unresectable high-grade gliomas.