Skip to content

Stem Cell Radiotherapy and Temozolomide for Newly Diagnosed High-grade Glioma

STRONG Trial - Stem Cell Radiotherapy (ScRT) and Temozolomide for Newly Diagnosed High-grade Glioma (HGG): A Prospective, Phase I/II Trial

Status
Terminated
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT02039778
Acronym
STRONG
Enrollment
4
Registered
2014-01-20
Start date
2013-12-31
Completion date
2015-12-31
Last updated
2017-06-05

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Anaplastic Astrocytoma, Brain Tumors, Glioblastoma, Malignant Glioma

Keywords

Glioblastoma, High-grade Glioma, Brain Tums, Temozolomide, Stem cell radiation therapy, IMRT, Proton beam radiotherapy, Conventional external beam radiotherapy, Quality of Life, Neurocognition

Brief summary

There are preliminary studies that suggest that radiation therapy to areas of the brain containing cancer stem cells (in addition to the area where the tumor was surgically treated) may help patients with high-grade brain tumors live longer. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the addition of stem-cell radiation therapy to the standard chemoradiation will further improve the outcome. The investigators will collect information about the patient's clinical status, disease control, neurocognitive effects, and quality of life during follow-up in our department. The purpose of the study is to improve the overall survival patients with newly diagnosed malignant brain tumors treated with stem cell radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The investigators will also measure how patients treated with this novel method of radiation therapy do over time in terms of disease control, potential neurocognitive side effects, overall function, and quality of life.

Detailed description

Even after optimal standard treatment, the outcome for patients suffering from glioblastoma (GB) is currently dismal, and temozolomide adds a modest survival benefit at high monetary cost and is accompanied by considerable toxicity. A possible explanation for the failure of radiotherapy to cure GB is the observation that glioma cells migrate widely into healthy bilateral brain tissue from one or more foci of origin. These isolated cells are not detected by current radiological techniques or even imaging and therefore usually not included into the target volume during radiotherapy. In this present study the investigators would like to test the hypothesis that the dose prescribed to the normal tissue stem cell niche in the adult brain will influence the effectiveness of radiotherapy for patients suffering from HGG/GB as these niches may serve as a harbor for radioresistant glioma stem cells, which are the only cells in a HGG believed to able to repopulate a tumor. The hypothesis is based on previous reports showing that adult normal tissue stem cells reside in the lateral periventricular regions of the lateral ventricles and animal studies reporting that transformation of normal tissues stem cells but not differentiated cells lead to tumor formation. This unique anatomical pattern of the brain that clearly separates stem cell niches as a potential pool of cancer stem cell (CSC's) from differentiated tissue make this an ideal model system to study the impact of radiation dose given to these stem cell niches. Therefore, prospective, randomized clinical trials are needed to address the efficacy and toxicity of including the CSC-containing subventricular region as additional target volumes into treatment plans for patients suffering from HGG/GB. This intervention could dramatically improve the outcomes of patients suffering from progressive, relapsing disease despite our best efforts currently.

Interventions

RADIATIONStem Cell Radiotherapy (ScRT) and Temozolomide

Stem Cell Radiotherapy (ScRT) and Temozolomide: The postoperative surgical bed + edema + margin & the ipsilateral subventricular zone (contoured as a 5mm rim of tissue around the ipsilateral lateral ventricles) will be included within the initial target volume and treated to 46 Gy in 23 fractions. After 46 Gy, the conedown or boost volume (surgical cavity + margin) will be treated to a total of 60 Gy, with seven additional fractions of 2 Gy each (14Gy boost dose). Temozolomide will be administered continuously from day 1 of radiotherapy to the last day of radiation at a daily oral dose of 75 mg/m2. The drug will be administered orally on an empty stomach, the first dose to be given the night prior or morning of the first radiation fraction, and continued until the last radiation fraction is completed (including weekends and holidays).

Sponsors

St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center
CollaboratorOTHER
Beth Israel Medical Center
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patients with newly diagnosed with high grade glioma (grade 3 or 4) having completed surgery. * Patients must be ≥ 18 and ≤ 70 years of age; * WHO/ECOG Performance Status of 2 or less. * MRI of the brain as delineated above. * Patients must sign a study-specific informed consent prior to study entry.

Exclusion criteria

* Evidence of brainstem involvement on radiographs; * Evidence of oligodendroglioma histology. * Evidence of progressive disease at the time of study entry; * Evidence of extracranial distant metastatic disease; * Prior cranial irradiation; * Patients may not be entered on other studies that have progression free, disease free, or overall survival as a primary endpoint; * Patients with synchronous or prior malignancy, other than non-melanomatous skin cancer unless disease free greater than 3 years; * Pregnant women are ineligible as treatment involves unforeseeable risks to the participant and to the embryo or fetus; patients with childbearing potential must practice appropriate contraception.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Overall Survival12 monthsThe overall survival of patients with newly diagnosed high-grade glioma (HGG) treated with concurrent ScRT and temozolomide, followed by post-radiation temozolomide (and compare to historical controls).
Progression-free Survival12 monthsThe progression-free survival of patients with newly diagnosed HGG treated with concurrent ScRT and temozolomide, followed by post-radiation temozolomide (and compare to historical controls).

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of Participants With Adverse Events as a Measure of Safety and Tolerability36 monthsThe short-and long-term toxicity of ScRT (and compare to historical controls).
Neurocognition36 monthThe potential neurocognitive effects of ScRT by the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT), Mini-mental status exam (MMSE), Trail Making Tests A/B (TMT), and Controlled Word Association Test (COWAT).
Quality of Life36 monthsThe impact of ScRT on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as assessed by EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30)/Brain Cancer Module (BCM 20), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy with Brain Subscale (FACT-BR), and Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADLS) during ScRT.

Countries

United States

Participant flow

Participants by arm

ArmCount
Stem Cell Radiotherapy and Temozolomide
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) Is Mandated; Proton therapy (Intensity-modulated proton therapy \[IMPT\] preferred) is an acceptable treatment modality. Stem Cell Radiotherapy (ScRT) and Temozolomide
4
Total4

Withdrawals & dropouts

PeriodReasonFG000
Overall StudyDeath2
Overall StudyNever started the protocol treatment1
Overall StudyWithdrawal by Subject1

Baseline characteristics

CharacteristicStem Cell Radiotherapy and Temozolomide
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
4 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
1 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
3 Participants

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
2 / 4
other
Total, other adverse events
4 / 4
serious
Total, serious adverse events
2 / 4

Outcome results

Primary

Overall Survival

The overall survival of patients with newly diagnosed high-grade glioma (HGG) treated with concurrent ScRT and temozolomide, followed by post-radiation temozolomide (and compare to historical controls).

Time frame: 12 months

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Stem Cell Radiotherapy and TemozolomideOverall Survival1 Participants
Primary

Progression-free Survival

The progression-free survival of patients with newly diagnosed HGG treated with concurrent ScRT and temozolomide, followed by post-radiation temozolomide (and compare to historical controls).

Time frame: 12 months

Population: no data available due to no subject completed the study. data not collected

Secondary

Neurocognition

The potential neurocognitive effects of ScRT by the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT), Mini-mental status exam (MMSE), Trail Making Tests A/B (TMT), and Controlled Word Association Test (COWAT).

Time frame: 36 month

Population: no data available due to no subject completed the study. data not collected

Secondary

Number of Participants With Adverse Events as a Measure of Safety and Tolerability

The short-and long-term toxicity of ScRT (and compare to historical controls).

Time frame: 36 months

ArmMeasureValue (COUNT_OF_PARTICIPANTS)
Stem Cell Radiotherapy and TemozolomideNumber of Participants With Adverse Events as a Measure of Safety and Tolerability4 Participants
Secondary

Quality of Life

The impact of ScRT on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as assessed by EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30)/Brain Cancer Module (BCM 20), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy with Brain Subscale (FACT-BR), and Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADLS) during ScRT.

Time frame: 36 months

Population: no data available due to no subject completed the study. data not collected

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026