Around 1 in 5 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK take part in a clinical trial.
A trial looking at cisplatin and temozolomide chemotherapy for children who have glioma brain tumours (CISTEM, CNS 2004 02)
Cancer type:
Brain (and spinal cord) tumours
Children's cancers
Status:
Results
Phase:
Phase 2
This trial was trying to find out if a combination of the chemotherapy drugs cisplatin and temozolomide improved the treatment for children with a glioma.
This trial was for children and young people from 4 to 21 years old.
Glioma is a type of brain tumour. Doctors treat it with surgery and radiotherapy, and sometimes with chemotherapy.
Temozolomide (Temodal) is a chemotherapy drug that doctors use to treat newly diagnosed high grade glioma (astrocytoma) or to treat brain tumours that have come back after treatment. Cisplatin is also a chemotherapy drug, used for a number of different cancers.
This trial was looking at giving temozolomide and cisplatin to children over 4 years old with a high grade glioma. It recruited 2 groups of children. Children in one group were newly diagnosed. Children in the other group had glioma that had come back after treatment.
The aim of this trial was to find out how well the combination of temozolomide and cisplatin worked for children and young adults with glioma.
Summary of results
The researchers found that the drug combination of temozolomide and cisplatin did not work as well in children with a high grade glioma as it did in adults.
52 children had treatment in this trial. All of them had a glioma that was grade 3 or 4.
- In 2 children, the glioma got smaller – researchers call this a
partial response 
- In 4 children, the glioma did get smaller, but not by very much – researchers call this a
minor response - All 6 responses were in children who were newly diagnosed
- In all the other children taking part, the glioma continued to grow
As this treatment had a response rate of only 7%, the trial showed that it did not work well enough to be used for children with a high grade glioma.
We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists () but may not have been published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.
Recruitment start:
Recruitment end:
How to join a clinical trial
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.
Chief Investigator
Dr Stephen Lowis
Supported by
Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG)
National Institute for Health Research Cancer Research Network (NCRN)
Freephone 0808 800 4040
Last review date
CRUK internal database number:
Oracle 434
Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.
Around 1 in 5 people take part in clinical trials
