Safety and efficacy of Hypofractionated stereotactic radiosurgery for high-grade Gliomas at first recurrence: a single-center experience

ALA-RDT in GBM: protocol of the phase I/II dose escalation trial of radiodynamic therapy with 5-Aminolevulinic acid in patients with recurrent glioblastoma

BACKGROUND

Despite improvements in surgical as well as adjuvant therapies over the last decades, the prognosis for patients with glioblastoma remains poor. Five-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) induced porphyrins are already used for fluorescence-guided resection and as photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy. New findings reveal their potential use as sensitizing agents in combination with ionizing radiation.

METHODS

We initiated a phase I/II dose escalation study, treating patients with recurrence of glioblastoma with oral 5-ALA concurrent to radiotherapy (RT). This prospective single-center study based in the University Hospital Münster aims to recruit 30 patients over 18 years of age with histologically verified recurrence of supratentorial glioblastoma in good performance status (KPS ≥ 60). Following a 3 + 3 dose-escalation design, patients having undergone re-resection will receive a 36 Gy RT including radiodynamic therapy fractions (RDT). RDT constitutes of oral administration of 5-ALA before the irradiation session. Two cohorts will additionally receive two fractions of neoadjuvant treatment three and two days before surgery. To determine the maximum tolerated dose of repeated 5-ALA-administration, the number of RDT-fractions will increase, starting with one to a maximum of eight fractions, while closely monitoring for safety and toxicity. Follow-up will be performed at two and five months after treatment. Primary endpoint will be the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of repeated ALA-administration, secondary endpoints are event-free-, progression-free-, and overall-survival. Additionally, 5-ALA metabolites and radiobiological markers will be analysed throughout the course of therapy and tissue effects after neoadjuvant treatment will be determined in resected tissue. This protocol is in accordance with the SPIRIT guidelines for clinical trial protocols.

DISCUSSION

This is the protocol of the ALA-RDT in GBM-study, the first-in-man evaluation of repeated administration of 5-ALA as a radiosensitizer for treatment of recurrent glioblastoma.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study was approved by the local ethics committee of the Medical Association of Westphalia-Lippe and the University of Münster on 12.10.2022, the German federal institute for Drugs and medical devices on 13.10.2022 and the federal office for radiation protection on 29.08.2022. This trial was registered on the public European EudraCT database (EudraCT-No.: 2021-004631-92) and is registered under www.cliniclatrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05590689).

Efficacy and indications of gamma knife radiosurgery for recurrent low-and high-grade glioma

PURPOSE

To investigate the indications and efficacy of gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) as a salvage treatment for recurrent low-and high-grade glioma.

METHODS

This retrospective study of 107 patients with recurrent glioma treated with GKRS between 2009 and 2022, including 68 high-grade glioma (HGG) and 39 low-grade glioma (LGG) cases. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The log-rank test was used to analyze the multivariate prognosis of the Cox proportional hazards model. Adverse reactions were evaluated according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.03. The prognostic value of main clinical features was estimated, including histopathology, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), recurrence time interval, target location, two or more GKRS, surgery for recurrence, site of recurrence, left or right side of the brain and so on.

RESULTS

The median follow-up time was 74.5 months. The median OS and PFS were 17.0 months and 5.5 months for all patients. The median OS and PFS were 11.0 months and 5.0 months for HGG, respectively. The median OS and PFS were 49.0 months and 12.0 months for LGG, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that two or more GKRS, left or right side of the brain and brainstem significantly affected PFS. Meanwhile, the KPS index, two or more GKRS, pathological grade, and brainstem significantly affected OS. Stratified analysis showed that surgery for recurrence significantly affected OS and PFS for LGG. KPS significantly affected OS and PFS for HGG. No serious adverse events were noted post-GKRS.

CONCLUSION

GKRS is a safe and effective salvage treatment for recurrent glioma. Moreover, it can be applied after multiple recurrences with tolerable adverse effects.

Reirradiation versus systemic therapy versus combination therapy for recurrent high-grade glioma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of survival and toxicity

PURPOSE

This review compares reirradiation (reRT), systemic therapy and combination therapy (reRT & systemic therapy) with regards to overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), adverse effects (AEs) and quality of life (QoL) in patients with recurrent high-grade glioma (rHGG).

METHODS

A search was performed on PubMed, Scopus, Embase and CENTRAL. Studies reporting OS, PFS, AEs and/or QoL and encompassing the following groups were included; reirradiation vs systemic therapy, combination therapy vs systemic therapy, combination therapy vs reRT, and bevacizumab-based combination therapy vs reRT with/without non-bevacizumab-based systemic therapy. Meta-analyses were performed utilising a random effects model. Certainty of evidence was assessed using GRADE.

RESULTS

Thirty-one studies (three randomised, twenty-eight non-randomised) comprising 2084 participants were included. In the combination therapy vs systemic therapy group, combination therapy improved PFS (HR 0.57 (95% CI 0.41-0.79); low certainty) and OS (HR 0.73 (95% CI 0.56-0.95); low certainty) and there was no difference in grade 3 + AEs (RR 1.03 (95% CI 0.57-1.86); very low certainty). In the combination therapy vs reRT group, combination therapy improved PFS (HR 0.52 (95% CI 0.38-0.72); low certainty) and OS (HR 0.69 (95% CI 0.52-0.93); low certainty). In the bevacizumab-based combination therapy vs reRT with/without non-bevacizumab-based systemic therapy group, adding bevacizumab improved PFS (HR 0.46 (95% CI 0.27-0.77); low certainty) and OS (HR 0.42 (95% CI 0.24-0.72; low certainty) and reduced radionecrosis (RR 0.17 (95% CI 0.06-0.48); low certainty).

CONCLUSIONS

Combination therapy may improve OS and PFS with acceptable toxicities in patients with rHGG compared to reRT or systemic therapy alone. Particularly, combining bevacizumab with reRT prophylactically reduces radionecrosis.

REGISTRATION

CRD42022291741.

Use of Bevacizumab in recurrent glioblastoma: a scoping review and evidence map

BACKGROUND

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant primary tumor in the brain, with poor prognosis and limited effective therapies. Although Bevacizumab (BEV) has shown promise in extending progression-free survival (PFS) treating GBM, there is no evidence for its ability to prolong overall survival (OS). Given the uncertainty surrounding BEV treatment strategies, we aimed to provide an evidence map associated with BEV therapy for recurrent GBM (rGBM).

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for the period from January 1, 1970, to March 1, 2022, for studies reporting the prognoses of patients with rGBM receiving BEV. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and quality of life (QoL). The secondary endpoints were PFS, steroid use reduction, and risk of adverse effects. A scoping review and an evidence map were conducted to explore the optimal BEV treatment (including combination regimen, dosage, and window of opportunity).

RESULTS

Patients with rGBM could gain benefits in PFS, palliative, and cognitive advantages from BEV treatment, although the OS benefits could not be verified with high-quality evidence. Furthermore, BEV combined therapy (especially with lomustine and radiotherapy) showed higher efficacy than BEV monotherapy in the survival of patients with rGBM. Specific molecular alterations (IDH mutation status) and clinical features (large tumor burden and double-positive sign) could predict better responses to BEV administration. A low dosage of BEV showed equal efficacy to the recommended dose, but the optimal opportunity window for BEV administration remains unclear.

CONCLUSIONS

Although OS benefits from BEV-containing regimens could not be verified in this scoping review, the PFS benefits and side effects control supported BEV application in rGBM. Combining BEV with novel treatments like tumor-treating field (TTF) and administration at first recurrence may optimize the therapeutic efficacy. rGBM with a low apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCL), large tumor burden, or IDH mutation is more likely to benefit from BEV treatment. High-quality studies are warranted to explore the combination modality and identify BEV-response subpopulations to maximize benefits.

Characteristics and management of tumor treating fields-related dermatological complications in patients with glioblastoma

Tumor treating fields (TTFields) is a novel approved modality for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM) exhibiting a satisfactory effect. Although TTFields has shown considerable safety for the normal brain, dermatological adverse events (DAEs) often occur during therapy. However, studies focused on the identification and management of DAEs are rare. The clinical data and photos of skin lesions from 9 patients with GBM were retrospectively analyzed, and the types and grades of individual scalp dermatitis were evaluated based on the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0 (CTCAE v 5.0). Adherence and safety were also evaluated on the basis of the device monitoring data. Eight patients (88.9%) exhibited grade 1 or grade 2 CTCAE DAEs, all of whom were cured after interventions. The adherence was >90%, with no relevant safety events reported. Finally, a guideline for preventing DAEs in patients with GBM was proposed. The identification and management of TTFields-related DAEs is necessary and urgent in patients with GBM. Timely interventions of DAEs will help to improve the adherence and quality of life of patients, which ultimately improves prognosis. The proposed guideline for preventing DAEs in patients with GBM assists in the management of healthcare providers and may avoid dermatologic complications.

Dosimetric quality of HyperArc in boost radiotherapy for single glioblastoma: comparison with CyberKnife and manual VMAT

BACKGROUND

Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) and hypo-fractionated radiotherapy are feasible treatment options for single glioblastoma multiforme when combined with conventional radiotherapy or delivered alone. HyperArc (HA), a novel linac-based method with 4 noncoplanar arcs, has been introduced into stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for single and multiple metastases. In this study, we compared the dosimetric quality of HyperArc with the well-established CyberKnife (CK) and conventional VMAT methods of SRT for a single, large target.

METHODS

Sixteen patients treated in our center with their clinical CK plans were enrolled, and the linac-based plans were designed in silico. From the aspect of normal tissue protection and treatment efficacy, we compared the conformity index (CI), gradient index (GI), homogeneity index (HI), dose distribution in planning target volume, dose in the normal brain tissue, and mean dose of several organs at risk (OARs). All of the data were evaluated with nonparametric Kruskal‒Wallis tests. We further investigated the relationship of the dose distribution with the tumor volume and its location.

RESULTS

The results showed that with a higher CI (0.94 ± 0.03) and lower GI (2.57 ± 0.53), the HA plans generated a lower dose to the OARs and the normal tissue. Meanwhile, the CK plans achieved a higher HI (0.35 ± 0.10) and generated a higher dose inside the tumor. Although manual VMAT showed slight improvement in dose quality and less monitoring units (2083 ± 225), HA can save half of the delivery time of CK (37 minutes) on average.

CONCLUSION

HA plans have higher conformity and spare OARs with lower normal tissue irradiation, while CK plans achieve a higher mean dose in tumors. HA with 4 arcs is sufficient in dosimetric quality for a single tumor with great convenience in planning and treatment processes compared with conventional VMAT. The tumor size and location are factors to be considered when selecting treatment equipment.

The Next Frontier in Health Disparities—A Closer Look at Exploring Sex Differences in Glioma Data and Omics Analysis, from Bench to Bedside and Back

Sex differences are increasingly being explored and reported in oncology, and glioma is no exception. As potentially meaningful sex differences are uncovered, existing gender-derived disparities mirror data generated in retrospective and prospective trials, real-world large-scale data sets, and bench work involving animals and cell lines. The resulting disparities at the data level are wide-ranging, potentially resulting in both adverse outcomes and failure to identify and exploit therapeutic benefits. We set out to analyze the literature on women’s data disparities in glioma by exploring the origins of data in this area to understand the representation of women in study samples and omics analyses. Given the current emphasis on inclusive study design and research, we wanted to explore if sex bias continues to exist in present-day data sets and how sex differences in data may impact conclusions derived from large-scale data sets, omics, biospecimen analysis, novel interventions, and standard of care management.

Radiomics-Based Detection of Radionecrosis Using Harmonized Multiparametric MRI

In this study, a radiomics analysis was conducted to provide insights into the differentiation of radionecrosis and tumor progression in multiparametric MRI in the context of a multicentric clinical trial. First, the sensitivity of radiomic features to the unwanted variability caused by different protocol settings was assessed for each modality. Then, the ability of image normalization and ComBat-based harmonization to reduce the scanner-related variability was evaluated. Finally, the performances of several radiomic models dedicated to the classification of MRI examinations were measured. Our results showed that using radiomic models trained on harmonized data achieved better predictive performance for the investigated clinical outcome (balanced accuracy of 0.61 with the model based on raw data and 0.72 with ComBat harmonization). A comparison of several models based on information extracted from different MR modalities showed that the best classification accuracy was achieved with a model based on MR perfusion features in conjunction with clinical observation (balanced accuracy of 0.76 using LASSO feature selection and a Random Forest classifier). Although multimodality did not provide additional benefit in predictive power, the model based on T1-weighted MRI before injection provided an accuracy close to the performance achieved with perfusion.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme: A Retrospective Multi-Institutional Experience

Introduction

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and lethal primary malignancy of the central nervous system. Despite standard therapy protocols, such as aggressive surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, GBM's aggressive nature produces low survival rates. Tumor recurrence and progression are nearly universal. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been studied as an alternative treatment for recurrent GBM as a minimally invasive option that might prolong survival. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficacy of SRS as a treatment modality considering overall survival (OS) in patients with GBM who had tumor recurrence and were treated with SRS in three different institutions.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively reviewed patients who received SRS for recurrent GBM between 1992 and 2020. A total of 46 patients were included in this study. We recorded age at diagnosis, the extent of surgical resection, radiation treatment, chemotherapy regimen, Karnofsky Performance Status at the time of SRS and at last follow-up, use of adjuvant chemotherapy after SRS, and response evaluation criteria in solid tumors. Primary endpoints were OS after initial diagnosis and OS from the date of the SRS procedure.

Results

Patients received SRS at a median of 10 months (range, 1 to 94 months) after their initial diagnoses. Median follow-up was seven months from the time of SRS and 22.8 months since diagnosis. The estimated median OS for all patients was nine months (range, 1 to 42 months) after SRS and 23.8 months (range, 4 to 102 months) after diagnosis. Median OS after SRS was seven months for patients treated from 1992 to 2011 and nine months for those treated from 2012 to 2020 (p = 0.008; X² = 7.008). Median OS for younger patients (i.e., those aged <50 years) was 37.1 months compared to 18.6 months for older patients (i.e., those aged >50 years; p = 0.04; X² = 3.870). Patients who received SRS after 10 months since diagnosis had a median OS of 36.2 months versus those who received SRS sooner than 10 months, who had an OS of 15 months (p = 0.004; X² = 8.145). Radiosurgery doses larger than 15 Gy correlated with a median survival of nine months versus seven months in those treated with doses <15 Gy (p = 0.01; X² = 6.756). Lastly, patients who received adjuvant bevacizumab (BEV) and or chemotherapy after SRS had a median survival of 12 months versus seven months for patients who did not receive any additional therapy after SRS (p = 0.04; X² = 4.196).

Conclusion

SRS focal recurrent GBM in selected patients may improve OS, especially when combined with adjuvant therapy such as BEV and chemotherapy. Other prognostic variables proved relevant such as patients' age, the dose delivered, and surgery-to-SRS time that translates to the time of recurrence. Our results were consistent with the published literature and added to the accumulating evidence regarding SRS in recurrent GBM; however, extensive, multi-center studies are required to make definitive recommendations on this treatment approach.

Radiotherapy of High-Grade Gliomas: First Half of 2021 Update with Special Reference to Radiosensitization Studies

Albeit the effort to develop targeted therapies for patients with high-grade gliomas (WHO grades III and IV) is evidenced by hundreds of current clinical trials, radiation remains one of the few effective therapeutic options for them. This review article analyzes the updates on the topic "radiotherapy of high-grade gliomas" during the period 1 January 2021-30 June 2021. The high number of articles retrieved in PubMed using the search terms ("gliom* and radio*") and manually selected for relevance indicates the feverish research currently ongoing on the subject. During the last semester, significant advances were provided in both the preclinical and clinical settings concerning the diagnosis and prognosis of high-grade gliomas, their radioresistance, and the inevitable side effects of their treatment with radiation. The novel information concerning tumor radiosensitization was of special interest in terms of therapeutic perspective and was discussed in detail.