July 13 , 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Tom Rosenberger, APR, Communications Department
(513) 569-5260

CONTACT: Christa Meyer, BSC, Communications Department
(513) 569-5251

CINCINNATI – A collaborative study by physicians from The Neuroscience Institute, the University of Cincinnati (UC) Departments of Neurosurgery and Radiation Oncology, and the Mayfield Clinic has nearly tripled the survival rate of patients with recurring glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a devastatingly lethal type of brain tumor resistant to conventional therapies. This is the first study to combine implantable radioactive seeds and chemotherapy wafers, with the surgical removal of the tumor mass, to prevent the recurrence of GBM. Leading the study were Robert E. Albright, Jr., M.D., neuro-oncologist; John C. Breneman, M.D., radiation oncologist; Ronald E. Warnick, M.D., neurosurgeon; and Borimir Darakchiev, M.D., neurosurgical fellow.

Glioblastoma multiforme, which represents approximately 30 percent of all primary brain tumors, is one of the most rapidly progressive of all cancers. Patients with GBM face an approximate 95 percent recurrence rate, with a survival rate of less than one year following initial surgery with or without simultaneous therapy.

Treating recurrent glioblastoma multiforme presents physicians with a major challenge: how to delay or prevent unavoidable disease progression. Because the recurrence usually occurs within such close proximity of the original tumor site, various local therapies have been used in an attempt to prevent its spread. Previous studies typically treated GBM patients with surgery and the implantation of either permanent I-125 brachytherapy (radiation seeds) or biodegradable wafers impregnated with BCNU (chemotherapy). The median survival rate for these treatment methods was 47 and 31 weeks, respectively. Patients in this new University of Cincinnati study, who simultaneously received both forms of treatments, had a median survival rate of 18 months. Four patients in the study had long-term survival rates of more than two and a half years.

Thirty-four patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme participated in the study between October 1998 and September 2002. The patients underwent surgery to have both the radiation seeds and chemotherapy wafers implanted. They were then monitored for adverse effects and changes in tumor size every three months. The most common adverse effect associated with the combined therapies was swelling of the brain. Physicians used hyperbaric oxygen treatments pioneered by UC and The Neuroscience Institute to alleviate this condition.

According to Dr. Warnick, “This type of combined local therapy with radiation seeds and chemotherapy wafers is a significant advantage in the treatment of patients who have recurrent glioblastoma multiforme. It offers hope for those who previously had no treatment options.”

The Mayfield Clinic is one of the world’s largest neurosurgical groups and is recognized as one of the nation’s leading physician organizations for clinical care, education, and research of the spine and brain. With 16 neurosurgeons and one neuro-intensivist, Mayfield treats 20,000 patients from 35 states and a dozen countries in a typical year.

The Neuroscience Institute is a regional center of excellence located at The University Hospital and affiliated with the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine. The Institute is recognized for its premier clinical facilities, its internationally renowned physicians, its ongoing research, and its advanced training programs for neuroscience specialists.