Breakthrough made in brain tumour treatment

The human brain still mystifies many scientists. Dartmouth College

Swiss researchers have uncovered a new treatment for an aggressive type of brain tumour which significantly boosts the survival rate of sufferers.

The discovery is the subject of two studies published on Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The international project, led by Lausanne University Hospital, used combination chemoradiation to treat gliomas, the most aggressive form of primary brain tumours.

As a result, the survival rate among patients jumped 26 per cent after two years, said the hospital in a joint statement with the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC).

“In 25 years of cancer treatment research, this is the first time that I have witnessed such progress in one of the most deadly forms of human cancer,” said the hospital’s Rene-Olivier Mirimanoff.

Around 600 patients from all over the world took part in the study over a period of one-and-a- half years. Six Swiss hospitals were involved.

Aggressive tumours

Gliomas are the most common form of malignant brain tumours among adults, affecting five to seven people per 100,000 people worldwide.

Before this latest discovery, the average life expectancy for sufferers was around a year. Only ten per cent who received radiotherapy were still alive after two years.

But by adding the new temozolomide chemotherapy to the treatment, the survival rate more than doubled after two years, said researchers.

The study also found that the molecular profile of a tumour determined how well patients responded to this type of therapy.

Scientists discovered that among those with brain cancers showing inactivity in a certain type of DNA repair gene, the survival rate jumped to 50 per cent.

The treatment was also found not to negatively affect the quality of life of patients, added the scientists.

swissinfo with agencies

In brief

Gliomas are the most common and aggressive form of malignant brain tumours. The condition affects up to seven people per 100,000 worldwide.

The cancer can be described as an unnecessary growth of cells in the brain. There are both benign and malignant forms of brain tumours.

Men are more likely to be affected by gliomas than women. Older people are also more at risk.