Association of Autologous Tumor Lysate-Loaded Dendritic Cell Vaccination With Extension of Survival Among Patients With Newly Diagnosed and Recurrent Glioblastoma: A Phase 3 Prospective Externally Controlled Cohort Trial.

Importance: Glioblastoma is the most lethal primary brain cancer. Clinical outcomes for glioblastoma remain poor, and new treatments are needed.

Objective: To investigate whether adding autologous tumor lysate-loaded dendritic cell vaccine (DCVax-L) to standard of care (SOC) extends survival among patients with glioblastoma.

Clinical Efficacy of Tumor Treating Fields for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma.

Background/aim: Whether adding tumor treating fields (TTF) to the Stupp protocol increases survival for glioblastoma (GBM) patients in routine clinical care remains unknown.

Patients And Methods: We retrospectively identified adult patients with newly diagnosed GBM (n=104) treated with the Stupp protocol or TTF at our Institution.

Results: Thirty-six percent (37/104) of patients received TTF in conjunction with the Stupp protocol and these patients had increased 6-month (p=0.

Risk factors associated with early adverse outcomes following craniotomy for malignant glioma in older adults.

Introduction: Craniotomy for tumor resection improves survival in adults aged ≥65 years with malignant glioma. However, the decision to attempt resection must be weighed against the near-term risks of surgery. This study examined risk factors associated with unfavorable 30-day outcomes following craniotomy for malignant glioma resection in older adult patients.

The correlation of fractional anisotropy parameters with Ki-67 index, and the clinical implication in grading of non-enhancing gliomas and neuronal-glial tumors.

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between the FA parameters and Ki-67 labeling index, and their diagnostic performance in grading supratentorial non-enhancing gliomas and neuronal-glial tumors (GNGT).

Methods: This institutional review board-approved, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) compliant retrospective study enrolled 35 patients, including 19 with low grade GNGT and 16 with high grade GNGT. The mean FA, maximal FA and mean maximal FA values derived from diffusion tensor imaging were measured.

The Impact of Timing of Concurrent Chemoradiation in Patients With High-Grade Glioma in the Era of the Stupp Protocol.

The purpose of this study is to provide a critical review of current evidence for the impact of time to initiation of chemoradiation on overall survival in patients with newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas treated with radiation and concurrent temozolomide chemotherapy. A literature search was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. Studies were included if they provided separate analysis for patients treated with current standard of care: radiation and concurrent temozolomide.

Healthcare Costs for High-grade Glioma.

Background/aim: Data on verified healthcare costs for high-grade gliomas (HGGs) are limited. This study aimed to determine the healthcare costs for HGGs.

Materials And Methods: A total of 88 primary HGGs patients diagnosed and treated at our Institution between 2011 and 2017 who had insurance plans administered with Excellus BCBS were retrospectively identified.

Correction to: First results on survival from a large Phase 3 clinical trial of an autologous dendritic cell vaccine in newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported an error in the spelling of one of the author names. In this Correction the incorrect and correct author names are indicated and the author name has been updated in the original publication. The authors also reported an error in the Methods section of the original article.

First results on survival from a large Phase 3 clinical trial of an autologous dendritic cell vaccine in newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

Background: Standard therapy for glioblastoma includes surgery, radiotherapy, and temozolomide. This Phase 3 trial evaluates the addition of an autologous tumor lysate-pulsed dendritic cell vaccine (DCVax-L) to standard therapy for newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

Methods: After surgery and chemoradiotherapy, patients were randomized (2:1) to receive temozolomide plus DCVax-L (n = 232) or temozolomide and placebo (n = 99).

The preliminary radiogenomics association between MR perfusion imaging parameters and genomic biomarkers, and their predictive performance of overall survival in patients with glioblastoma.

The radiogenomics association of neovascularization is important for overall survival (OS) in glioblastoma patients and remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to assess the association between MR perfusion imaging derived parameters and genomic biomarkers of glioblastoma, and to evaluate their prognostic value. This retrospective study enrolled 41 patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

Systematic Review of Safety and Cost-Effectiveness of Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis Strategies in Patients Undergoing Craniotomy for Brain Tumor.

Background: Studies have evaluated various strategies to prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in neuro-oncology patients, without consensus.

Objective: To perform a systematic review with cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of various prophylaxis strategies in tumor patients undergoing craniotomy to determine the safest and most cost-effective prophylaxis regimen.

Methods: A literature search was conducted for VTE prophylaxis in brain tumor patients.

Risk factors associated with venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing spine surgery.

OBJECTIVE Patients undergoing spinal surgery are at risk for developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). The authors sought to identify risk factors for VTE in these patients. METHODS The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project database for the years 2006-2010 was reviewed for patients who had undergone spinal surgery according to their primary Current Procedural Terminology code(s).

Brain metastasis from melanoma: the prognostic value of varying sites of extracranial disease.

Patients with brain metastasis from melanoma have poor outcomes. Radiation is used both for prognostic and symptomatic value. We aimed to further clarify the role of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) as well as the prognostic implication of various sites of extracranial disease.

Radiotherapy for Brain Metastases From Renal Cell Carcinoma in the Targeted Therapy Era: The University of Rochester Experience.

Objectives: Radiotherapy remains the standard approach for brain metastases from renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Kinase inhibitors (KI) have become standard of care for metastatic RCC. They also increase the radiosensitivity of various tumor types in preclinical models.

A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Trial of Oxymorphone Hydrochloride and Propoxyphene/Acetaminophen Combination for the Treatment of Neurogenic Claudication Associated With Lumbar Spinal Stenosis.

Study Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-dose crossover study.

Objective: To test the analgesic efficacy of oxymorphone hydrochloride (OH) and propoxyphene/acetaminophen (PA) for patients with neurogenic claudication associated with lumbar spinal stenosis.

Summary Of Background Data: Although opioids are often prescribed for neurogenic claudication, no randomized controlled studies support their efficacy for this condition.

Targeting chemokine receptor CXCR7 inhibits glioma cell proliferation and mobility.

Background: The functional contribution of chemokine receptor CXCR7 to malignant brain tumor biology remains controversial.

Materials And Methods: Complementary methods were used to confirm CXCR7 expression in clinical glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) specimens and multiple GBM cell lines. Loss-of-function studies were performed using small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology.

Risk factors for venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing craniotomy for neoplastic disease.

Patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures for neoplasia have historically been considered at higher risk for developing venous thromboembolism (VTE). We sought to identify risk factors associated with VTE in patients undergoing craniotomy for tumor resection. We reviewed a national surgical quality database (American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project, ACS-NSQIP, http://site.

Chemokine receptor CXCR7 is a functional receptor for CXCL12 in brain endothelial cells.

The chemokine CXCL12 regulates multiple cell functions through its receptor, CXCR4. However, recent studies have shown that CXCL12 also binds a second receptor, CXCR7, to potentiate signal transduction and cell activity. In contrast to CXCL12/CXCR4, few studies have focused on the role of CXCR7 in vascular biology and its role in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs) remains unclear.

Spinal drop metastasis in myxopapillary ependymoma: a case report and a review of treatment options.

Myxopapillary ependymoma (MPE) is a World Health Organization grade I ependymoma that is quite rare and generally thought to be benign. Possible drop metastasis from MPE has been reported three times in the literature; in each case there were cotemporaneous additional MPE lesions. We report the case of a man who had a piecemeal gross total resection of a MPE at L1-L3 followed by adjuvant external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) who presented sixteen months later with a lesion in the thecal sac consistent with drop metastasis.

Radiosensitization of malignant gliomas following intracranial delivery of paclitaxel biodegradable polymer microspheres.

Object: The aim of this study was to demonstrate that paclitaxel could function as a radiosensitizer for malignant glioma in vitro and in vivo.

Methods: The radiosensitizing effect of paclitaxel was tested in vitro using the human U373MG and rat 9L glioma cell lines. Cell cycle arrest in response to paclitaxel exposure was quantified by flow cytometry.

Correlation between progression free survival and dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI perfusion in WHO grade III glioma subtypes.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether dynamic susceptibility contrast MR perfusion relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) correlates with prognosis of World Health Organization (WHO) grade III glial tumors and their different subtypes. Retrospective evaluation of pre-treatment tumor rCBV derived from dynamic susceptibility contrast MR perfusion was performed in 34 patients with histopathologically diagnosed WHO grade III glial tumors (anaplastic astrocytomas (n = 20), oligodendrogliomas (n = 4), and oligoastrocytomas (n = 10)). Progression free survival was correlated with rCBV using Spearman rank analysis.

Stereotactic radiosurgery and hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy: normal tissue dose constraints of the central nervous system.

Single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) are radiation planning and delivery techniques used for the treatment of intracranial and spine/spinal cord tumors and targets. For cranial SRS and SRT, critical normal tissues/structures include the brainstem, cranial nerves, cochlea and normal brain parenchyma. For spine SRS/SRT, critical normal tissues/structures include the spinal cord, cauda equina as well as neighboring organs.