Abstract Many factors contribute to the poor survival of malignant brain tumor patients, some of which are not easily remedied. However, one contributor to the lack of progress that may be modifiable is poor clinical trial accrual. Surveys of brain tumor patients and neuro-oncology providers suggest that clinicians do a poor job of discussing clinical trials with patients and referring patients for clinical trials. Yet, data from the Cancer Action Network of the American Cancer Society suggest that most eligible oncology patients asked to enroll on a clinical trial will agree to do so. To this end, the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) in collaboration with the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) Working Group, patient advocacy groups, clinical trial cooperative groups, including the Adult Brain Tumor Consortium (ABTC), and other partners are working together with the intent to double clinical trial accrual over the next 5 years. Here we describe the factors contributing to poor clinical trial accrual in neuro-oncology and offer possible solutions.
Barriers to accrual and enrollment in brain tumor trials.
2024 Background: A major impediment to improving neuro-oncology outcomes is poor clinical trial accrual. Methods: We convened a multi-stakeholder group including Society for Neuro-Oncology, Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology, patient advocacy groups, clinical trial cooperative groups, and other partners to determine how we can improve trial accrual. Results: We describe selected factors contributing to poor trial accrual and possible solutions. Conclusions: We will implement strategies with the intent to double trial accrual over the next 5 years. [Table: see text]
Abstract P6-21-03: Phase I trial of intratumoral (IT) administration of a NIS-expressing derivative manufactured from a genetically engineered strain of measles virus (MV)
Abstract Background: The live attenuated non-pathogenic Edmonston MV vaccine strain has advantages as an oncolytic platform given its tumor specificity, potent bystander effect, and ability to be engineered and retargeted. MV-NIS expresses the human thyroidal sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) and is selectively oncolytic, entering tumor cells through CD46 (overexpressed on many cancers, including breast cancer of all subtypes) and Nectin-4. NIS expression in MV-NIS infected cells permits noninvasive monitoring of virus spread by SPECT-CT imaging of Tc-99m pertechnetate or I-123 uptake. Methods: NCT01846091 is a standard 3+3 phase I trial of a single IT administration of MV-NIS in pts with recurrent/metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) or metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Primary objectives are (a) safety and tolerability and (b) maximally tolerated single dose. The secondary clinical objective is to preliminarily assess antitumor efficacy at and away from the MV injection site. Key eligibility criteria were: absence of standard therapy with life prolonging intent; at least one lesion >1 cm amenable to percutaneous injection; and no impending visceral crisis. MV-NIS was administered on D1 with mandatory SPECT-CT at baseline (BL) and on D3&D8; repeat SPECT-CT on D15&D21 if the prior result was positive; mandatory tumor biopsies on D3&D21; optional tumor biopsies on D8&D15; assessments for viremia and viral shedding at BL and on D3,D8,D15,D21; and standard imaging for restaging at BL,D21,W6,W12. Results: Accrual completed with 12 evaluable pts (6 SCCHN and 6 MBC) at 3 dose levels (108, 3x108, 109 TCID50). The MBC group included 5 HR+/HER2- pts and 1 pt with mixed HR+/HER2- and HR+/HER2+ disease. 5 pts had evidence of disease progression prior to study participation. No dose limiting toxicities were observed among the MBC pts; AEs possibly related to MV-NIS in this group were gr2 fatigue, gr1 flu-like illness, gr2 lymphopenia (all n=1). No SCCHN responses were observed. Best response for the MBC pts was: stable disease (SD) >6 wks, n=4; clinical response, n=1; progression, n=1. One MBC pt with SD for 12 wks had positive SPECT/CT imaging at and away from the injection site on D3&D8 and was the only pt seronegative for measles IgG antibodies prior to MV-NIS exposure. The MBC pt who responded after initial MV-NIS exposure was the only pt with low viral RNA in blood (D3); she received additional doses at W9&W13 without toxicity through an expanded access protocol exemption and had disease progression by W19. No viral shedding was detected from mouth rinse or urine in any pt. MV was detected in tumor samples from all pts treated at the highest dose level. Additional blood and tissue analyses are in progress. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the safety of IT MV-NIS administration, provide early evidence of biologic activity in MBC, and support the possibility of viral replication in tumors remote from the IT injection site. A MV strain encoding the immunomodulatory neutrophil activating protein transgene has been constructed (MV-s-NAP) with preclinical evidence of improved antitumor activity and immunogenicity. The phase I MV-s-NAP trial will start recruitment in Fall 2018. Citation Format: Liu MC, Peng K-W, Federspiel MJ, Russell SJ, Brunton BA, Zhou Y, Packiriswamy N, Hubbard JM, Loprinzi CL, Peethambaram PP, Ruddy KJ, Allred JB, Galanis E, Okuno SH. Phase I trial of intratumoral (IT) administration of a NIS-expressing derivative manufactured from a genetically engineered strain of measles virus (MV) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-21-03.
Letter: When Less is More: Dexamethasone Dosing for Brain Tumors
Individualized Screening Trial of Innovative Glioblastoma Therapy (INSIGhT): A Bayesian Adaptive Platform Trial to Develop Precision Medicines for Patients With Glioblastoma
PURPOSE Adequately prioritizing the numerous therapies and biomarkers available in late-stage testing for patients with glioblastoma (GBM) requires an efficient clinical testing platform. We developed and implemented INSIGhT (Individualized Screening Trial of Innovative Glioblastoma Therapy) as a novel adaptive platform trial (APT) to develop precision medicine approaches in GBM. METHODS INSIGhT compares experimental arms with a common control of standard concurrent temozolomide and radiation therapy followed by adjuvant temozolomide. The primary end point is overall survival. Patients with newly diagnosed unmethylated GBM who are IDH R132H mutation negative and with genomic data available for biomarker grouping are eligible. At the initiation of INSIGhT, three experimental arms (neratinib, abemaciclib, and CC-115), each with a proposed genomic biomarker, are tested simultaneously. Initial randomization is equal across arms. As the trial progresses, randomization probabilities adapt on the basis of accumulating results using Bayesian estimation of the biomarker-specific probability of treatment impact on progression-free survival. Treatment arms may drop because of low probability of treatment impact on overall survival, and new arms may be added. Detailed information on the statistical model and randomization algorithm is provided to stimulate discussion on trial design choices more generally and provide an example for other investigators developing APTs. CONCLUSION INSIGhT (NCT02977780) is an ongoing novel biomarker-based, Bayesian APT for patients with newly diagnosed unmethylated GBM. Our goal is to dramatically shorten trial execution timelines while increasing scientific power of results and biomarker discovery using adaptive randomization. We anticipate that trial execution efficiency will also be improved by using the APT format, which allows for the collaborative addition of new experimental arms while retaining the overall trial structure.
NCCTG N0872 (Alliance): A randomized placebo-controlled phase II trial of bevacizumab plus dasatinib in patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM).
Randomized, placebo-controlled, phase II study of dasatinib with standard chemo-radiotherapy for newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM), NCCTG N0877 (Alliance).
NCCTG N0574 (Alliance): A phase III randomized trial of whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) in addition to radiosurgery (SRS) in patients with 1 to 3 brain metastases.