Glioma Clinical Trials

High grade gliomas (HGGs) are rapidly progressive brain tumors resulting in death for most patients between 6 months and 2 years after diagnosis. It is important for patients with HGG to discuss and document their wishes at the end of life. However, many of these patients experience early changes in cognition which impede their decision-making. For this reason, these patients should have early discussions with their providers. However, implementation of this remains challenging in clinical practice. In this study, we will create an Early STructured Advanced care Referrals by Telehealth (Early START) visit for patients soon after their initial oncology visit. A checklist and pre-visit guide were developed to help guide the visit for both the provider and patient. Providers will receive special training in running these visits. Caregivers and/or family members will be encouraged to participate. Visits will be done using video or telephone and recorded. For patients who do not have access to technology for these visits, it will be provided. After the visit, patients, caregivers and/or family who participated, and providers will fill out surveys to address feasibility of having these extra visits and improve the visits for future. Patients will be followed until death. Caregivers and/or family who participated will be asked about whether end of life was in line with the patient's wishes. We will also use the patient's medical record to assess other aspects of end of life. We will compare end of life outcomes with other similar patients treated at our center. Read Less

Family caregivers of patients with a primary brain tumor experience a high caregiving load including assistance with activities of daily living without any formal training. It is not surprising that this vulnerable caregiver population reports high levels of distress along with numerous caregiving-related concerns, which may compromise their ability to provide quality care. This project will examine the feasibility and initial evidence for efficacy of a caregiving skills intervention aiming to improve caregiver and patient psychological health; caregiving efficacy and role adjustment; and reduce patient cancer-related symptoms and healthcare utilization. Read Less

This is a Phase 1 study of central nervous system (CNS) locoregional adoptive therapy with autologous CD4+ and CD8+ T cells lentivirally transduced to express a B7H3-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and EGFRt. CAR T cells are delivered via an indwelling catheter into the tumor resection cavity or ventricular system in children and young adults with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), diffuse midline glioma (DMG), and recurrent or refractory CNS tumors. A child or young adult meeting all eligibility criteria, including having a CNS catheter placed into the tumor resection cavity or into their ventricular system, and meeting none of the exclusion criteria, will have their T cells collected. The T cells will then be bioengineered into a second-generation CAR T cell that targets B7H3-expressing tumor cells. Patients will be assigned to one of 3 treatment arms based on location or type of their tumor. Patients with supratentorial tumors will be assigned to Arm A, and will receive their treatment into the tumor cavity. Patients with either infratentorial or metastatic/leptomeningeal tumors will be assigned to Arm B, and will have their treatment delivered into the ventricular system. The first 3 patients enrolled onto the study must be at least 15 years of age and assigned to Arm A or Arm B. Patients with DIPG will be assigned to Arm C and have their treatment delivered into the ventricular system. The patient's newly engineered T cells will be administered via the indwelling catheter for two courses. In the first course patients in Arms A and B will receive a weekly dose of CAR T cells for three weeks, followed by a week off, an examination period, and then another course of weekly doses for three weeks. Patients in Arm C will receive a dose of CAR T cells every other week for 3 weeks, followed by a week off, an examination period, and then dosing every other week for 3 weeks. Following the two courses, patients in all Arms will undergo a series of studies including MRI to evaluate the effect of the CAR T cells and may have the opportunity to continue receiving additional courses of CAR T cells if the patient has not had adverse effects and if more of their T cells are available. The hypothesis is that an adequate amount of B7H3-specific CAR T cells can be manufactured to complete two courses of treatment with 3 or 2 doses given on a weekly schedule followed by one week off in each course. The other hypothesis is that B7H3-specific CAR T cells can safely be administered through an indwelling CNS catheter or delivered directly into the brain via indwelling catheter to allow the T cells to directly interact with the tumor cells for each patient enrolled on the study. Secondary aims of the study will include evaluating CAR T cell distribution with the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the extent to which CAR T cells egress or traffic into the peripheral circulation or blood stream, and, if tissues samples from multiple timepoints are available, also evaluate disease response to B7-H3 CAR T cell locoregional therapy. Read Less

This study (1438-0003) is open to adults with a tumour in the brain that is positive for the tumour marker delta-like 3 (DLL3). This study is in people with advanced cancer for whom previous treatment was not successful. The purpose of this study is to find out the highest dose of BI 764532 that people with a brain tumour that is positive for DLL3 can tolerate. BI 764532 is an antibody-like molecule that can attach and link together the cancer cells and T-cells of the immune system (DLL3/CD3 bispecific). This may help the immune system fight cancer. Participants get BI 764532 infusions into a vein when starting treatment. If there is benefit for the participants and if they can tolerate it, the treatment is continued. During this time, participants visit the study site at regular intervals. The total number of visits depends on how they respond to and tolerate the treatment. The first study visits include staying to monitor participants' safety. Doctors record any unwanted effects and regularly check the general health of the participants. Read Less

This clinical trial evaluates the use of microdialysis catheters during surgery to collect biomarkers, and studies the feasibility of intraoperative microdialysis during neurosurgery for central nervous system malignancies. A biomarker is a measurable indicator of the severity or presence of disease state. Information collected in this study may help doctors to develop new strategies to better diagnose, monitor, and treat brain tumors. Read Less

This phase IV trial compares patient satisfaction with telehealth versus in-person neuro-oncology assessments among glioma patients receiving oral chemotherapy. Gliomas are the most common primary central nervous system cancer and are associated with a high symptom burden, such as drowsiness, fatigue, memory difficulty, and difficulty communicating. Care at a high volume center is associated with an overall survival benefit, however, many patients may have physical or financial difficulties preventing access to these centers. Telehealth visits use computers, cameras, videoconferencing, the internet, satellite, and wireless communications to deliver healthcare, while in-person visits require the interaction to take place in the physical presence of someone else. Telehealth neuro-oncology assessments may be preferable compared to in-person assessments in glioma patients receiving oral chemotherapy. Read Less

This is a multi-center, sequential cohort, open-label, volume and dose escalation study of the safety, tolerability, and distribution of 186RNL given by convection enhanced delivery to patients with recurrent or progressive malignant glioma after standard surgical, radiation, and/or chemotherapy treatment. The study uses a modified Fibonacci dose escalation, followed by an expansion at the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) to determine efficacy. The starting absorbed dose is 1mCi in a volume of 0.660mL. Read Less

This is an open-label, multicenter, Phase 1 study to establish the safety and efficacy/tolerability of a single dose of 186RNL by the intraventricular route (via intraventricular catheter) for recurrence glioma in patients who received a prior treatment of 186RNL. Read Less

Background: About 90,000 new cases of brain and spinal cord tumors are diagnosed annually in the United States. Most of these tumors are benign; however, about 30% are malignant, and 35% of people with malignant tumors in the brain and spinal cord will die within 5 years. Many of these people have changes in certain genes (MYC or MYCN) that drive the development of their cancers. Objective: To test a study drug (PLX038) in people with tumors of the brain or spinal cord. Eligibility: People aged 18 years or older with a tumor of the brain or spinal cord. Some participants must also have tumors with changes in the MYC or MYCN genes. Design: Participants will be screened. They will have a physical exam and blood tests. They will have imaging scans and a test of their heart function. They may need to have a biopsy: A sample of tissue will be removed from their tumor. PLX038 is given through a tube attached to a needle inserted into a vein in the arm. All participants will receive PLX038 on the first day of each 21-day treatment cycle. They will take a second drug 3 days later to help reduce the risk of infection; for this drug, participants will be shown how to inject themselves under the skin at home. Blood tests, imaging scans, and other tests will be repeated during study visits. Hair samples will also be collected during these visits. Some participants may have an additional biopsy. Study treatment will continue up to 7 months. Follow-up visits will continue every few months for up to 5 years. Read Less

This clinical trial tests the safety and side effects of tumor treating fields in treating patients with gliomas located in the brainstem. Optune is a wearable, portable, treatment that creates low-intensity, wave-like electric fields called tumor treating fields (TTFields), which interfere with cancer cell division. TTFields may prevent growth or decrease size of gliomas in patients Read Less

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the treatment regimen of using Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT) and Hypo-fractionated Radiation Therapy to treat patients with newly diagnosed gliomas. Read Less

This is an open-label, single-center Phase 0/1b study that will enroll at least 27 participants with recurrent WHO Grade 4 Glioma requiring re-radiation and approximately 35 participants with newly-diagnosed WHO Grade 4 glioma (nGBM). The trial will be composed of a Phase 0 component (subdivided into Arms A - C), and an expansion Phase 1b. Patients with tumors demonstrating a positive PK response in the Phase 0 component of the study will be eligible to graduate to an expansion phase that combines therapeutic dosing of AZD1390 plus standard-of-care fractionated radiotherapy (RT). Read Less