Adding temozolomide, a chemotherapy pill, to radiation significantly improves survival for adults with grade 2 gliomas, a clinical trial led by our David Schiff, MD, has found.
“We found that the 10-year survival rate was 70% with the combined treatment with temozolomide chemotherapy and radiation, compared to 47% with radiation alone as the initial approach,” said Dr. Schiff, co-director of the UVA Neuro-Oncology Center at UVA Cancer Center. “This discovery is important, because until now, we have not had compelling evidence that temozolomide improves overall survival in grade 2 gliomas.”
Grade 2 gliomas are slow-growing brain tumors. They are less aggressive than grade 3 and 4 gliomas, but they can spread to nearby tissue and become a greater threat.
Dr. Schiff's trial results are expected to reshape how the tumors are treated.
In addition to the benefits seen in the trial, temozolomide is less toxic than other chemotherapies for grade 2 gliomas, making it an attractive treatment option.