A study looking at how glioma brain tumours behave

Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.

Cancer type:

Brain (and spinal cord) tumours

Status:

Closed

Phase:

Other

This study is using MRI scans to look at how glioma brain tumours behave.

Doctors tend to treat all gliomas in the same way. But not all gliomas behave in the same way. If doctors knew how a glioma was going to behave they could choose the treatment best suited to it.

The researchers in this trial want to use MRI scans to try and find out more about how individual high grade gliomas behave.

The aims of this study are to

Find out more about high grade gliomas behave
Further develop MRI scans as a tool in deciding treatment for gliomas

Who can enter

You can enter this study if you

Have a high grade glioma that can be seen on a scan
Are due to have surgery to remove all or part of your tumour
Are well enough to be up and about for half the day (performance status 0, 1, 2)
Are between 18 and 75 years old

You cannot enter this study if you are not able to have an MRI scan because you

Have metal clips, pins or plates in your body
Don’t like being in small enclosed places
Are allergic to the dye used when you have an MRI

Trial design

The main part of this study is now closed. The team are now doing a sub study.

This study will recruit about 145 people.

There are 2 groups in this study. Which group you are in will depend on whether it is safe for you to have chemotherapy wafer implants (Gliadel) put in place after the surgeon removes the tumour. The surgeon will decide this when you have your surgery.

If you are in group 1 and don’t have the chemotherapy implants, the researchers want to find out about changes in levels of chemicals in the fluid around your brain. These may cause your tumour to grow.

During your operation the surgeon will put a very thin tube (catheter) into your brain. After your operation the study team will use the tube to take small samples of the fluid and look at levels of chemicals in it. They will do this every 6 to 8 hours for 2 days while you are still in hospital. If you are asleep they can take the samples without waking you. The doctors will remove the tube before you go home.

If you are in group 2 your surgeon will remove your tumour and put in chemotherapy wafer implants.

As a part of the study you will have extra MRI scans and the researchers will ask your permission to take a small piece of the tissue the surgeon removed during your surgery. They will also ask for a blood sample, which will be taken during your operation. These samples will only be used to help improve understanding of brain tumours.

Sub study

In the sub study the team want to understand what MRI scans are really telling them about what is happening in the tumour.

You have an MRI scan before surgery. During surgery the surgeon will take some tumour tissue samples. You then have the standard treatment Open a glossary item . Your doctor will talk to you about this.

The research team will compare the findings of the MRI scans with the tumour tissue samples.

Hospital visits

If you take part in this study the researchers will take some extra MRI scans. They will take these when you have scans as part of your routine care. So you will have no extra visits to hospital because of this trial.