Brain Cancer Clinical Trial Gives Hope To Patients

Australian researchers have found that patients who received a cellular immunotherapy for the deadly brain cancer glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in a clinical trial, on average survived longer than would have been expected without the treatment.

The team also found the treatment was safe and identified clues that will help them improve it in future.

GBM is the most common malignant brain tumour in adults. It is a particularly aggressive cancer that usually recurs quickly after treatment. Patients survive an average of 14-17 months after diagnosis.

The cellular immunotherapy was developed by the head of QIMR Berghofer’s Centre for Immunotherapy and Vaccine Development, Professor Rajiv Khanna AO, and his team.

It was tested in a phase I (safety) clinical trial of 25 patients at Briz Brain and Spine in collaboration with neurosurgeon Professor David Walker.

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