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 06 July 2008 15:29 BST

Drug targets deadly brain tumour

Friday, 19 Oct 2007 07:11
The treatment could extend the lives of brain cancer patients

Health In Focus 

Patients with a deadly form of brain cancer could survive for longer by using a drug that cuts off blood supply to the tumour, scientists claim today.

A study from Duke University medical centre says Avastin - a treatment for bowel cancer - and a standard chemotherapy agent may increase the amount of time patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) survive without tumour growth.

The treatment could also significantly increase their overall survival, according to the report published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Researchers studied the effect of the treatment in 35 patients whose GBMs had returned after standard treatment.

Almost half saw no tumour progression after six months and nearly 80 per cent were still alive six months after diagnosis.

In comparison patients with recurrent GBM who are treated with standard therapies have tumour progression at six months in about three-quarters of cases and fewer than 50 per cent are alive after six months.

Dr James Vredenburgh, the study's lead investigator, said the results "represent tremendous hope for these patients and their families".

"Historically, when GBM recurred, there had typically been very little else we could do," he said.

"We had one patient on this trial who had been already been told to get his affairs in order; he started the trial and over a year later he's still here, so this is very promising."
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