A British feasibility study of molecular stratification and targeted therapy to optimize the clinical management of patients with glioma by enhancing clinical outcomes, Reducing avoidable toxicity, improving management of post-operative residual & recurrent disease and improving survivorship - Platform Study

Research summary

The Tessa Jowell BRAIN MATRIX is a programme of work, the principal purpose of which is to improve the knowledge of, and treatment for, glioma, a type of brain tumour. The programme will include a Platform Study and subsequent interventional clinical trials. This protocol is for the Platform Study, in which a backbone data-repository of disease, treatment and outcome data are collected which will deliver the study’s objectives. Gliomas are the most common primary tumour of the central nervous system (CNS). However, brain tumours are a challenging disease to treat. The tumour’s location within the brain and its tendency to grow into nearby brain tissue often makes it very difficult to remove the tumour completely with surgery. There is also difficulty in delivering drugs in adequate amounts to the tumour due to the natural defences of the brain. The standard treatment for most brain tumours is surgery, followed by radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. However, some tumour cells can be left behind, which can then regrow. The aim of treatment is to delay tumour progression and extending overall survival. Therefore, there is a need to develop and test new treatments. The main aim of the Tessa Jowell BRAIN MATRIX – Platform Study is to more precisely determine the exact type of tumour patients have by developing the essential infrastructure to provide rapid and accurate molecular diagnosis. A large network of clinical hubs across the UK, with expertise in managing patients with brain tumours, will be developed. Once established this infrastructure will facilitate the rapid introduction of clinical trials testing targeted therapies tailored to the genetic changes of an individual’s tumour. Gliomas occur at all ages and their specific subtype is difficult to predict pre-surgery. Therefore, the patient population eligible for the BRAIN MATRIX Platform Study is broad.

Principal Investigator

Dr Meera Nandhabalan

Contact us

Email: latephaseoncology@ouh.nhs.uk

IRAS number

269228