A trial looking at temozolomide for children and young people with diffuse pontine gliomas (CNS 2007 04)

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 tumour had started to grow again in 23 children
• Side effects caused 4 children to stop treatment
• 3 children decided not to continue with treatment
• Information was not available for 1 child

The main side effects were

• A drop in blood cells causing an increased risk of infection, bruising and bleeding
• Infection
• Feeling or being sick
• Tiredness

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 (peer reviewed ) and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.