Gliosarcoma clinical trials at UCSD

This randomized phase II/III trial studies how well temozolomide and veliparib work compared to temozolomide alone in treating patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Veliparib may stop the growth of tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. It is not yet known whether temozolomide is more effective with or without veliparib in treating glioblastoma multiforme.

This phase II/III trial compares the usual treatment with radiation therapy and temozolomide to radiation therapy in combination with immunotherapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab in treating patients with newly diagnosed MGMT unmethylated glioblastoma. Radiation therapy uses high energy photons to kill tumor and shrink tumors. Chemotherapy drugs, such as temozolomide, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Temozolomide, may not work as well for the treatment of tumors that have the unmethylated MGMT. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies called immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as ipilimumab and nivolumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. It is possible that immune checkpoint inhibitors may work better at time of first diagnosis as opposed to when tumor comes back. Giving radiation therapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab may lengthen the time without brain tumor returning or growing and may extend patients' life compared to usual treatment with radiation therapy and temozolomide.