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The Glioma Program

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The Glioma Program

The Glioma Program focuses on the treatment of children with both low-grade and high-grade (‘malignant’) glial tumors.  Examples include:

  • Astrocytomas
  • Oligodenrdogliomas
  • Glioblastoma multiform
  • Brain stem gliomas 

Direction of Efforts

The goal of our efforts is to:

  1. Further our understanding of the biology of these tumors, and  thereby design specific means to attack and destroy them
  2. Develop more effective and less damaging treatment strategies for these tumors
  3. Develop more specific tools for evaluating and predicting response to treatment

Study Participation

The Program has a long history of being major participants in the national Children's Cancer Group (now Children's Oncology Group) nationwide studies for children with these uncommon brain tumors.

Dr. Jonathan Finlay is the Chairperson of the largest-ever study for such children with malignant gliomas, the CCG-945 Study, conducted between 1985 and 1993, survivors from whom are still being followed, to determine the impact of their tumors and treatments upon their long term quality of life (CCG-L991 study) and to help in their transition to adult life.

At the present time, we participate in the COG ACNS0126 study for children with newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas, which utilizes irradiation and concomitant temozolomide, followed by ongoing temozolomide chemotherapy. Additionally, we participate in the COG A9561 study for children less than 10 years old with progressive low grade gliomas, comparing the vincristine and carboplatin regimen (originally developed by Dr. Jonathan Finlay with Dr. Roger Packer, of Washington, DC) and another multi-drug regimen including vincristine, CCNU, procarbazine and 6-thioguanine. Finally, the Program has participated in the COG Phase I trial of gadolinium-texaphyrin along with irradiation for children with brain stem gliomas.

New Treatment Studies

The Program is currently directing two new treatment studies for children with newly diagnosed malignant gliomas and brain stem tumors, both using the drug combination of irinotecan and temozolomide, either without irradiation (for children less than six years of age) or concomitant with irradiation for children above six years of age at diagnosis.

The hospital currently has open a limited-institution study of thiotepa, carboplatin and temzolomide with autologous peripheral blood stem cell rescue for patients with all types of recurrent malignant brain tumors, including malignant gliomas, provided the patients can be first brought to a state of minimal residual tumor burden, either through surgery and/or drug treatment.

Dr. Anat Erdreich-Epstein, a pediatric oncologist with a major laboratory research commitment to understanding how tumors use angiogenesis (blood vessel formation) to enhance their survival - and therefore how to overcome this mechanism with anti-angiogenesis agents, has recently received substantial grant support for her laboratory work from the National Cancer Institute.

Additional Information

For further information on our current treatment of children, adolescents and young adults with  glial tumors of the brain, either newly-diagnosed or at recurrence, please contact the:

Program Director
Dr. Jonathan Finlay