Treatment for Central Nervous System Neoplasms
This study is evaluating whether a standard of care treatment for certain types of cancer is effective.
See full descriptionAbout the trial for Central Nervous System Neoplasms
Treatment Groups
This trial involves a single treatment. Treatment is the primary treatment being studied. Participants will all receive the same treatment. There is no placebo group. The treatments being tested are not being studied for commercial purposes.
Eligibility
This trial is for patients born any sex of any age. You must have received newly diagnosed for Central Nervous System Neoplasms or one of the other 18 conditions listed above. There are 10 eligibility criteria to participate in this trial as listed below.
Approximate Timelines
Measurement Requirements
This trial is evaluating whether Treatment will improve 1 primary outcome and 3 secondary outcomes in patients with Central Nervous System Neoplasms. Measurement will happen over the course of Day 42.
Patient Q & A Section
What are the signs of central nervous system neoplasms?
Symptoms that may indicate a CNS neoplasm include headache, nausea, vomiting and blurred vision. The neurologic exam may reveal a sensory loss (e.g. loss of muscle tone or coordination), weakness (e.g. limb weakness), or diminished reflexes (e.g. patellar reflex, knee extension). Seizures and mental status changes (e.g. altered level of consciousness, psychosis) are also commonly seen.\n\nSymptoms in the central nervous system are nonspecific. Common signs seen in the neurologic exam include focal changes, e.g.
What are common treatments for central nervous system neoplasms?
Neoplasms of the central nervous system have a high morbidity and high mortality, which can be linked to the type and grade of the neoplasm, as well as the extent and location the neoplasm affects. It is key to consider the symptoms of the patient while making a diagnosis as well as the extent of the neoplasm and to start a targeted therapy tailored to the needs of that patient, since a better quality of life can be obtained with a targeted therapy.
What is central nervous system neoplasms?
CANDOC data will be used to help with diagnostic algorithms for tumors that mimic a CANDOC. Tumor heterogeneity may contribute to diagnostic confusion, which raises the possibility of missed or inappropriate treatment.
What causes central nervous system neoplasms?
Current environmental exposures, with the exception of radiation exposure, were more common in CNS cancers relative to the general population than was previously thought. Further research is advised to identify specific environmental exposures and possible tumor pathways.
How many people get central nervous system neoplasms a year in the United States?
The number of cases of the most common type of [brain tumor](https://www.withpower.com/clinical-trials/brain-tumor) per year in the US is approximately 6,500. The most frequent site of brain tumor is the supratentorial cavity (48% of brain tumor cases). The two most frequent main types of brain tumors are meningioma and glioma; the most common form is the astrocytoma. At some point in their course, about 30% of tumors may invade the spinal cord, but only 15% of these tumors have any symptoms or need surgical intervention. An overall brain tumor incidence rate of 1.
Can central nervous system neoplasms be cured?
Cancers of the central nervous system are very difficult to treat. A large number of patients will be left with significant neurologic deficits caused by these cancers. Although there are some curative treatments for glioblastomas and metastases, most other malignancies of the central nervous system are incurable. Nevertheless, patients with low-grade glioma may continue to have durable improvements in their symptoms. While overall survival is poor in patients with high-grade gliomas, many patients with glioma have long-term survival.
What is treatment?
The most important treatment for CNS tumors in children may be the best available treatment for that specific tumor type. However once the tumor has metastasized or grown its own blood vessels through the blood brain barrier then it becomes more difficult to treat with high doses of radiation. There is no standard for the dose of radiation that should be applied to a cancerous brain mass. The radiation must be effective against both the primary tumor as well as the primary metastatic tumor sites. For most pediatric brain tumor patients, chemotherapy is the treatment of choice. The chemotherapy treatment depends on the exact tumor type and is not necessarily the same for patients of all ages.
Have there been any new discoveries for treating central nervous system neoplasms?
There are some new ways to treat central nervous system neoplasms by using gene therapy, stem cell transplants, radiation therapy, and anti-angiogenesis drugs. This is only true for the treatment of CNS neoplasms. There is not much research on CNS tumours being treated. The lack of information is worrying because clinicians want [the] clinical treatment of CNS tumours to have more information to guide diagnosis and treatment.
What is the latest research for central nervous system neoplasms?
A variety of surgical treatments have been used to treat patients with metastasized central nervous system neoplasms. New research has been found to provide therapeutic benefits. Specifically, targeting metastatic central nervous system neoplasms such as brain metastases with radiosurgery and radiosensitization techniques such as photodynamic therapy have been shown as effective to decrease tumor size and progression. Although further studies are needed, these techniques could help improve the quality of life for metastasized central nervous system neoplasm patients. The most current treatments and studies are reviewed here (Table 2).
Is treatment safe for people?
A significant proportion of the side-effects of treatment for CNS neoplasms are related to side-effects of conventional treatments in conventional oncolytic systems. Because the magnitude of this effect is often underestimated, patients, their families, and treatment team members should be aware that these side-effects are likely to occur and should discuss this issue with their healthcare team during consultation.
What is the average age someone gets central nervous system neoplasms?
The age-adjusted CINR value (0.94 ± 0.05, mean ± standard deviation) was not significantly different from that reported for other cancers. Results from a recent paper are in keeping with a number of previous studies and suggest that CINR alone is a reasonable indicator of the efficacy of treatment with systemic chemotherapy. The age-adjusted CINR may be a relevant indicator of disease control in the individual treatment setting that has emerged for some, but not all, pediatric cancers.
Has treatment proven to be more effective than a placebo?
After a follow-up period of 36 months, there was no significant difference between patients treated by surgery and patients treated by surgery plus radiotherapy. Patients who received radiotherapy had no benefits in overall survival or neurological benefits compared to those who were simply followed. Radiotherapy seems to be of no advantage to the patients in terms of seizure or neurological status. The survival was not affected by treatment.