IBTA Magazine: The worldwide distribution of the IBTA's "Brain Tumour" magazine is in progress with individual copies having already been received in Canada, the USA, UK and Ireland. It is a major undertaking but if you do not receive a copy by about mid-July please register your land/postal details here.

ASCO: The IBTA distributed 250 copies of its magazine at the ASCO conference held recently in Chicago and were ably assisted at our stand in the Patient Advocacy booth by locals Mary Ellen Maher and Jean Arzbaecher. Demographics of who attended the ASCO meeting are not yet available but based on last year's analysis there were probably fewer overall attendees and consequently fewer present in 2012 equivalent to the approximately 774 professionals who indicated last year that they had an interest in CNS tumours.

In the presentations, posters and abstracts, attention was given to the results of the EORTC study of patients with anaplastic oligodendroglial brain tumours which showed a survival benefit for those receiving chemotherapy (procarbazine, lomustine, vincristine) after radiation therapy, particularly those with a 1p/19q co-deletion. Also attracting attention were the results of the German NOA-08 trial of GBM or AA patients over 65 years of age. Temozolomide (TMZ) demonstrated non inferiority to radiation therapy (RT) in the overall population. For those with MGMT promoter methylation outcomes were better for TMZ versus RT. A commentator on the results suggested: "I would argue strongly that if you don't have MGMT results, you should not give temozolomide upfront". (See Page 15A here.) The IBTA, as a patient advocacy group, has some doubts about such an approach.

There was also general interest in Immunocellular Therapeutics' ICT-107, for which a Phase IIb trial is underway and in Tocagen's therapy. Among the posters there was interest in the first clinical presentation about Apogenix's APG101.

Visas Tarptautinės sergančiųjų galvos smegenų augliais asociacijos 2012 m. birželio mėn. naujienas anglų kalba rasite čia.

Šaltinis: www.theibta.org