Brain Neoplasm, Malignant

Primary brain cancer kills up to 10,000 Americans a year. These brain tumors are typically treated by surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, either individually or in combination. Present therapies are inadequate, as evidenced by the low 5-year survival rate for brain cancer patients, with median survival at approximately 12 months. Glioma is the most common form of primary brain cancer, afflicting approximately 7,000 patients in the United States each year. These highly malignant cancers remain a significant unmet clinical need in oncology. GBM often has a high expression EFGR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor) which is blocked by Cetuximab (CTX). The investigators have recently completed a separate Phase I clinical trial using superselective intra-arterial cerebral infusion (SIACI) of CTX after blood brain barrier disruption (BBBD) for recurrent GBM (Chakraborty et al, in revision, Journal of Neurooncology). The investigators found that intra-arterial infusion of CTX is well tolerated with few adverse effects. The investigators hypothesize that in patients with newly diagnosed GBM, repeated SIACI of this drug after BBBD will be safe and efficacious for our patients when combined with standard chemoradiation (STUPP protocol). This trial will be a non-randomized open label Phase I/II clinical trial. In addition to standard chemotherapy and radiation therapy (STUPP protocol) the patient will be given CTX intra-arterially after BBBD for a total of three doses at approximately post surgery days 30, 120 and 210.

Primary brain tumors are typically treated by surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, either individually or in combination. Present therapies are inadequate, as evidenced by the low 5-year survival rate for brain cancer patients, with median survival at approximately 12 months. Glioma is the most common form of primary brain cancer, afflicting approximately 7,000 patients in the United States each year. These highly malignant cancers remain a significant unmet clinical need in oncology. GBM often has a high expression of EFGR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor), which is associated with poor prognosis. Several methods of inhibiting this receptor have been tested, including monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The investigators hypothesize that in patients with recurring GBM, intracranial superselective intra-arterial infusion of Cetuximab (CTX), at a dose of 250mg/m2 in conjunction with hypofractionated radiation, will be safe and efficacious and prevent tumor progression in patients with recurrent, residual GBM.

A greater extent of resection of the contrast-enhancing (CE) tumor part has been associated with improved outcomes in high-grade glioma patients. Recent results suggest that resection of the non-contrast-enhancing (NCE) part might yield even better survival outcomes (supramaximal resection, SMR). Therefore, this study evaluates the efficacy and safety of SMR with and without mapping techniques in HGG patients in terms of survival, functional, neurological, cognitive, and quality of life outcomes. Furthermore, it evaluates which patients benefit the most from SMR, and how they could be identified preoperatively. This study is an international, multicenter, prospective, 2-arm cohort study of observational nature. Consecutive HGG patients will be operated with supramaximal resection or maximal resection at a 1:3 ratio. Primary endpoints are: 1) overall survival and 2) proportion of patients with NIHSS (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale) deterioration at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. Secondary endpoints are 1) residual CE and NCE tumor volume on postoperative T1-contrast and FLAIR MRI scans 2) progression-free survival; 3) onco-functional outcome, and 4) quality of life at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. The study will be carried out by the centers affiliated with the European and North American Consortium and Registry for Intraoperative Mapping (ENCRAM).