Glioblastoma brain cancer research: Boston study provides glimmer of hope

A new review by Mass General Brigham researchers provides a glimmer of hope for patients with glioblastoma the the greater part common and deadly form of brain cancer in adults The researchers revealed that glioblastoma patients who received a common anti-seizure and pain drug gabapentin ended up living longer This evaluation is an exciting step forward revealed lead author Joshua Bernstock a clinical fellow in the Department of Neurosurgery at Brigham and Women s Hospital GBM glioblastoma is a relentlessly progressive and nearly universally fatal illness Bernstock added The discovery that an already approved medication with a favorable safety profile can extend overall survival represents a meaningful and potentially practice-changing advance With about new glioblastoma cases diagnosed each year in the U S the cancer accounts for the majority primary brain tumors in adults Overall survival has barely improved over the last several decades with largest part patients living only to months after assessment and months after recurrence The new examination was sparked by insight from the field of cancer neuroscience which presented the success of using gabapentin in mouse models Intrigued by this research Bernstock and colleagues looked at the outcomes of glioblastoma patients at Mass General Brigham Multiple of the patients were already taking gabapentin for reasons that typically centered on nerve pain Those who were taking the drug survived an average of months compared to months for those who weren t This four-month survival benefit was statistically crucial Because the results seemed almost too good to be true according to Bernstock he connected with Shawn Hervey-Jumper s unit at University of California San Francisco to add to the dataset and discovered they were able to replicate what was revealed at Mass General Brigham Of the patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma included in the UCSF cohort patients on gabapentin survived an average of months while those not taking gabapentin survived an average of months Together the information included patients and identified a substantial survival benefit Related Articles Georgia become second US state to shield maker of Roundup weed killer from particular cancer alleges First at-home test kit for cervical cancer approved by the FDA company says Cancer before age is increasing A new inquiry looks at which types King Charles III says his cancer journey brought the best of humanity into focus Mighty Quinn locality rallies to get cancer survivor s Mighty Dad back after brain tumor emergency in Ireland There have been very minimal advances in survival for GBM patients since the early s Bernstock explained We need to think more creatively about the emerging biology in these tumors and how to target them While the findings are promising the examination is retrospective the researchers didn t give patients gabapentin in a controlled way to test its effects Bernstock stressed that larger randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm the results