
"I was delighted to take part in a clinical trial as it has the potential to really help others in the future.”
This trial looked at temozolomide during and after radiotherapy for children and young people with brain tumours called diffuse pontine gliomas. This trial was supported by Cancer Research UK.
This trial was for children and young people up to and including the age of 21. We use the term ‘you’, but of course if you are a parent, we are referring to your child.
A glioma is a type of brain tumour. A diffuse pontine glioma starts in the brain stem. The brain stem runs down the centre of the brain and connects with the spinal cord. People who have this type of glioma usually have radiotherapy.
Doctors wanted to find out if adding chemotherapy to the usual treatment would help to shrink the tumour. In this trial they looked at the drug temozolomide which is used to treat some other types of brain tumours. Those taking part had temozolomide at the same time as radiotherapy and for up to a year afterwards.
The aims of the trial were
The trial team found that having temozolomide during and after radiotherapy didn’t help children with diffuse pontine gliomas.
This was a phase 2 trial. It recruited 43 children and young people. Everyone was to have temozolomide during their radiotherapy, followed by a 4 week break and then temozolomide for a year afterwards.
After the initial temozolomide during radiotherapy, 7 children didn’t continue to have further temozolomide. For 6 children this was because their tumour had continued to grow. The other one chose not to continue with temozolomide.
Of the 36 children who started temozolomide after radiotherapy, 5 completed the full treatment. Of the 31 who didn’t complete treatment
The main side effects were
The average length of time the children lived after treatment was 9½ months. Those who lived for 2 years or more had an average age of 13 years old.
The trial team concluded that having temozolomide with radiotherapy and afterwards didn’t help younger children with diffuse pontine gliomas. But for teenagers with diffuse pontine gliomas, combining radiotherapy with other treatments may need further study.
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 () and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Dr Simon Bailey
Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK Children's Cancer Trials Team
University of Birmingham
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
National Institute for Health Research Cancer Research Network (NCRN)
Schering Plough
The Brain Tumour Charity
This is Cancer Research UK trial number CRUK/10/016.
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
"I was delighted to take part in a clinical trial as it has the potential to really help others in the future.”