Some glioblastoma patients benefit from 'ineffective' treatment, researchers say

Science news

A subgroup of patients with a devastating brain tumor called glioblastoma multiforme benefited from treatment with a class of chemotherapy drugs that two previous large clinical trials indicated was ineffective against the disease, according to a study at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Specifically, patients in the subgroup who were treated with chemotherapy drugs that block the growth of new blood vessels in the tumor lived an average of about one year longer than those who were given other classes of chemotherapy drugs, the researchers found.
The retrospective study emphasizes the importance of properly categorizing tumors with varied biology in order to best personalize treatment for each patient. Lumping all glioblastoma patients together as one group led to the flawed conclusion that no patients benefited from anti-angiogenesis treatments, the researchers said.