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Brain Tumor : Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas
Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas are a type of brain tumor that occurs in the lowest, stem-like part of the brain. The brain stem connects the brain to the spinal cord. Tumors of the brain stem are hard to treat, but it is important to treat them because the brain stem is the area of the brain that controls your breathing, blood pressure and heart rate. It is hard—and often times impossible—to operate on this area of the brain because it interferes with the functioning of this critical area of the brain. They are usually diagnosed in children aged 5 to 10.
The standard treatment for brainstem tumors has been radiation therapy (treatment with high energy rays to get rid of cancer cells). But, radiation therapy may only work for a short period of time or may not work at all. This therapy can reduce symptoms significantly, but there may be some permanent damage caused by the tumor which can’t be helped. Steroids, another type of drug, are often given to improve some of the symptoms. Surgery is not part of the standard treatment because the tumor has grown within a part of the brain where removal of tumor is impossible. The effectiveness of chemotherapy is still uncertain.
This study is using vorinostat because it seems to work against other types of brain tumors. It is not sure if vorinostat given with radiation therapy will work in people with this kind of brain tumor. Researchers have learned that some of the chemotherapy drugs used to treat people with cancer can make tumor cells respond better to radiation therapy. This study wants to find a way to make the radiation therapy work better to help more people with cancer. Recently, a study of vorinostat in children found the dose that was safe to give to children if given alone.
This study is done in 2 parts. Phase 1 and Phase 2. Both phases use this drug called vorinostat. Vorinostat is considered experimental because it has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for brain tumors. The important goal of Phase I study is to find the highest dose of vorinostat that can be given safely during radiation therapy and to learn what its side effects are. The important goal of phase 2 study is to determine if vorinostat, when given during radiation therapy at the dose found in phase 1 of the study, is a helpful and effective therapy for treating children with newly diagnosed DIPG. The dose of vorinostat after radiation therapy will be slightly different from its dose during radiation therapy, but this dose was also previously determined to be safe in children in a separate study.
Ibrahim Qaddoumi, MD
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105 USA
Phone: (901) 595-2544 or (901) 595-4599
FAX: (901) 595-5353
Tabatha E. Doyle, RN
Coordinator, Brain Tumor Program
For the current eligibility status of this clinical study, patient’s family, relatives and/or referring physicians may contact St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at (901) 595-4599 or (901) 595-2544.
The above information is intended to provide only a basic description about a research protocol that may be currently active at St. Jude. The details made available here may not be the most up-to-date information on protocols used by St. Jude. To receive full details about a protocol and its status and or use at St. Jude, a physician must contact St. Jude directly.