The project goal is to investigate new agents and modalities for therapy of adults with malignant brain glioma. This goal will be attained by a co- operative association with CTEP and RRP by a consortium of institutions (CNSC) including the Cross Cancer Institute (CCI), Edmonton, Canada. The Central Operations Office will be the University of California, San Francisco, assisted by a subcontract with the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG). A Pharmacokinetics Center will be provided by the University of Texas, San Antonio.
The specific aims of the consortium are: 1. To investigate phase I/II chemotherapy agents and combined modality therapy for adult patients with newly diagnosed or recurrent malignant brain glioma. 2. To co-ordinate the efforts of the CNSC with CTEP and the RRP to bring promising new agents into clinical phase I/II trials as quickly as possible. 3. To ensure that CNSC data is valid (verifiable), immediately available and appropriately analyzed. 4. To develop an ongoing creative dialog between members of the CNSC and NCI such that sequential new phase (/II studies are designed as quickly as needed 5. To create a tissue bank of human brain tumor cell lines to facilitate research by members of the CNSC. Within the CNSC, the specific role of the Edmonton Neuro-Oncology groups at the CCI will be: 1. To develop clinical trials for use by members of the consortium, taking into account the overall goals of the consortium and the areas of expertise at the CCI. Protocols which have been developed at the CCI recently include; 1) Pre-radiation BCNU for Patients with Malignant Glioma; Correlation between Treatment Response and In Vitro Predictors of Response to Nitrosourea Chemotherapy, and 2) Phase II Study of Prolonged Oral Etoposide (VP-16) for Recurrent Malignant Glioma 2. To participate in CNSC clinical trials, including trials of Taxol and other trials which will be developed by consortium members. 3. To expand and maintain our human brain tumor tissue bank. Brain tumor cell lines will be used for local studies including studies of predictors of response to chemotherapy in patients with malignant glioma and will be available for research by other consortium members.
