05 May Recurrent Glioblastoma: Treatment with Cytomegalovirus Immunotherapy
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr Andrea Schuessler
QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
Herston, Queensland 4006
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr . Schuessler: Recurrent glioblastoma is a very aggressive brain cancer and most patients do not survive much longer than 6 months. Our study has assessed a novel immunotherapy and treated 10 patients with late stage cancer. The treatment did not have any serious side effects and most of the patients have survived much longer than the expected 6 months. Importantly, four of the 10 patients have not shown signs of disease progression during the study period with one of them still being cancer free four years after the treatment.
MedicalResearch.com: Were any of the findings unexpected?
Dr . Schuessler: Recurrent glioblastoma has a very dismal prognosis and standard treatments often fail to extend patient survival. The finding that 4 out of 10 patients remained cancer free during the study period is a better outcome than we anticipated and encourages further study.
MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Dr. Schuessler: While the findings are still preliminary, immunotherapy is a promising new treatment option with minimal side effects. Pending further clinical testing, this treatment may become widely available in the future.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Dr . Schuessler: This study has shown promising results in patients with recurrent glioblastoma. Further trials will aim to assess the effect of immunotherapy in patients at an earlier stage of the disease. Hopefully, the treatment can be effective in delaying cancer relapse and extending survival.
Citation:
Cancer Res canres.0296.2014; Published OnlineFirst May 4, 2014; doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-14-0296
Last Updated on May 5, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD