The IBTA’s monthly e-News has been released and has emailed to all subscribers. Emailed to over 5,000 people around the globe, including clinicians, patients, researchers and others, 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.
This month’s highlights
You can read the IBTA e-News Octoober 2022 edition in full online here.
Some highlights from this month’s round-up:
- The 2022 International Brain Tumour Awareness Week (Saturday, 29 October to Saturday 5th November 2022, inclusive) is now upon us. This special week is a celebration of awareness-raising activities in which the international brain tumour community unites to draw attention to the challenges of brain tumours and the need for an increased research effort. If you are able to take part in any kind of activity, we would love to hear about it. We invite you to please register or report your Awareness Week activity through our online form. An International Brain Tumour Awareness Week toolkit with FAQs is available on our website here. The social media hashtag for sharing news about events, activities and articles is #IBTAWeek.
- A comprehensive statistical report on brain tumours in all ages in the United States has been published in the journal Neuro-Oncology. Key findings include: a mortality rate from brain tumours of 4.41 per 100,000 population (or 16,853 deaths per year); the incidence rate was higher in females compared to males (27.62 versus 21.60 per 100,000) and non-Hispanic persons (of any race) compared to Hispanic persons.
- A new systematic review published in Neuro-Oncology by Johan Koekkoek, Tobias Walbert et al reveals updated insights and an overview of palliative care options for people with malignant brain tumours. The review is based on the European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) palliative care guidelines for adult patients released in 2017.
- Molecules within cells that control how they respond to a person’s body clock throughout the day, called circadian clock proteins, appear to be key players in glioblastoma tumour growth and are potential targets for new drugs, according to lab-based research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
- Patients with high-grade gliomas experience high levels of distress and their needs are not being met, according to a new study published in the journal Psycho-Oncology. Using a battery of questionnaires, four distress trajectory groups were identified: ranging from those with consistently low distress (18%) to consistent high distress (19%). The study’s authors conclude: “Our data demonstrate the urgent need for policy changes to implement regular screening for distress and unmet needs in [high-grade glioma] populations.”
- According to results of a phase 2 clinical trial (NRG Oncology/RTOG1205) published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, patients with recurrent glioblastoma lived longer without tumour growth (had an extended progression-free survival) when treated with bevacizumab (Avastin) along with reirradiation (re-RT) compared with treatment with bevacizumab alone.
- Children who have received radiotherapy to their head are at increased risk of developing meningioma brain tumours in later life, according to research published in JAMA Oncology. Survivors who had received the highest doses of greater than 24 Gy had a 30-fold increased risk of meningioma compared to those not given radiotherapy. These findings underline the importance of minimising exposure of healthy tissue in children to radiation.
- Results of the first clinical study to trial long-term ‘convection-enhanced delivery’ (CED) of chemotherapy in glioblastoma tumours has been published in the journal The Lancet Oncology. The treatment involves inserting a catheter directly into a tumour, through which chemotherapy is periodically pumped via a device inserted under the skin.
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