Oligodendroglioma Clinical Trials 2022

What are Oligodendroglioma Clinical Trials?

Oligodendroglioma is a tumor in the central nervous system (brain or spinal cord). These tumors grow on the frontal or temporal lobes of the brain, or in sporadic cases, in the spinal cord. Oligodendrogliomas consist of tumor cells called oligodendrocytes responsible for protecting the nerves.

Oligodendroglioma can be benign and malignant and usually only spread throughout the central nervous system. There are two types of oligodendrogliomas, depending on the growth rate of the tumor. The benign tumors that grow slowly are considered Grade 2 oligodendroglioma. Malignant tumors that grow and spread quickly are considered Grade 3 anaplastic oligodendroglioma.

Why is Oligodendroglioma Being Studied Through Clinical Trials?

Oligodendroglioma accounts for approximately 5% of all neuroepithelial tumors. Doctors in the United States report around 1200 new Oligodendroglioma patients annually. The disease commonly affects people between the age of 25 to 45, with grade 3 oligodendroglioma presenting almost ten years after the onset of grade 2 tumors.

Recent studies showed that gross tumor resection techniques by chemotherapy for Oligodendroglioma treatment were not effective. Additionally, although it alleviated some symptoms, surgery had a high risk of brain damage.

Hence, doctors turn to Oligodendroglioma clinical trials to find a better method of treating oligodendroglioma that effectively cures the disease without high risk.

What are the Types of Treatment Available for Oligodendroglioma?

One prospective treatment for oligodendroglioma is 60 Gy of postoperative radiationtherapy (XRT) in 30 fractions. However, oligodendroglioma clinical trials are needed to address the efficacy of XRT treatment in different forms of oligodendroglioma.

Additionally, chemotherapy regimens involving vincristine (PVC) and temozolomide (TMZ) showed promising results, further cemented by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group in a phase 2 study involving pre-irradiation TMZ, which was followed by concurrent TMZ.

Recently, with 12 years of follow-up showing patients with improved survival rates, treatment involving PVC and radiationtherapy (RT) showed promising results in oligodendroglioma clinical trials EORTC26951 and RTOG9402.

What are Some Breakthrough Oligodendroglioma Clinical Trials?

There are currently 66 ongoing oligodendroglioma clinical trials, with three trials in phase 4, ten in phase 3, and 23 in phase 2. Below are some of the most promising oligodendroglioma clinical trials.

NCR03975829: The pediatric long-term follow-up phase 4 study involves 250 participants who will be treated with dabrafenib (DRB436) and trametinib (TMT212). The primary outcome of the study is to assess the safety of treatment of either dabrafenib and trametinib individually or synergistically.

NCT04135807: The phase 1 study is an innovative approach toward tumor resection through a microdevice that uses eight intratumor drugs: TMZ, irinotecan, carboplatin, lomustine, Osimertinib, dinaciclib, and everolimus.

What are the Complications of Oligodendroglioma Clinical Trials?

The oligodendroglioma clinical trials are few, and only a few have gotten to phase 4. This is because many complications in oligodendrogliomas can affect clinical trials. The main complication is the rate at which the tumor grows. Since the rate differs depending on the patients, complications increase when assessing the effectiveness of a trial.

Additionally, most oligodendroglioma clinical trials include strong drugs and radiationtherapy to treat cells surrounding the nervous system, so patients may experience side effects such as:

• Weakness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Balance Problems
• Loss of hearing or vision