[28 November 2018] The IBTA’s monthly e-News has been released and has emailed to all subscribers. To sign up to receive your copy, click here.
You can also read the IBTA e-News November 2018 edition in full online here.
Some of the highlights from this month’s round-up:
- The IBTA would like to thank all those who took part in this year’s International Brain Tumour Awareness Week, which ran from 20th-27th October 2018. This year saw a diversity of awareness-raising activities, which included walks, talks and seminars.
- The UK Parliament ha published a major report which details the financial costs of a brain tumour diagnosis, stating that the average household affected by a brain tumour will be financially worse off by £14,783 (19,000 USD) per year, versus £6,840 for all cancers. The report gives recommendations to reduce financial burden to brain tumour patients and their families, as well as identifying ways to improve patient experience.
- Research published in Science Translational Medicine has identified the drug digoxin, which is already approved in heart failure treatment, as a possible treatment for subtypes of medulloblastoma. Experiments with digoxin in animals with medulloblastoma subtypes groups 3 and 4 showed an increase in survival
- Adolescent and young adult brain tumour survivors are at significantly increased risk for symptoms of anxiety, even years after successful treatment for relapse, according to a study published in the Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology.
- A new study published in Neuro-Oncology that has examined the outcomes of glioblastoma patients in Finland found that survival in that country has improved between 2000 and 2013. Survival increased from 9.3 months in 2000-2006 to 11.7 months in 2007-2013 in those under 70 years old.
- Novocure has released results from an analysis of the EF-14 phase 3 pivotal trial in newly diagnosed glioblastoma, which indicate that higher doses of Tumor Treating Fields delivered via Optune to the tumour bed was associated with improved overall survival.
- Mustang Bio has announced that a phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of a CAR T cell therapy in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer with brain metastases has been initiated. The company has also announced that the first patient has been dosed in a phase 1 clinical trial of HER2-specific CAR T cells in treating recurrent or refractory grade III-IV glioma.
- Australian charity Cure Brain Cancer Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2018 Innovation Grants program. Two researcher groups have each been awarded AUS$200,000, taking the Foundation’s commitment to brain cancer research to more than $6.5 million over the last five years.
Our monthly e-News highlights items of interest to our international brain tumour community and is emailed to nearly 6,000 recipients. It gives a round-up of the latest research and treatment developments, news about brain tumour patient organisations around the world, and key forthcoming neuro-oncology scientific and patient conferences. You can sign up to receive the e-News every month by registering here.
To see an archive of existing e-News issues, click here.
