Cutting-edge brain tumour treatment made available in Wales
Welsh patients are to be some of the first in the world to access the drug-radiation combination trial, known as PARADIGM 2. The trial is co-funded by Cancer Research UK and The Brain Tumour Charity, and is part of CRUK’s ECMC Combinations Alliance and will be run at Velindre Cancer Centre by Dr James Powell.
PARADIGM-2 is now open to a small number of eligible patients, and will look at the effects of olaparib (Lynparza) combined with radiotherapy for patients with glioblastoma.
Glioblastoma is one of the most common types of brain tumours in adults, and standard treatment is surgery and radiotherapy. The effectiveness of combining olaparib with radiation will be tested on a small number of cancer patients in this early phase trial, the first of its kind in Wales.
Dr Paul Shaw, a clinical oncologist at the Velindre Cancer Centre and the lead on the radiotherapy for the project, said: “The team is excited that the focused and rational combination of new anti-cancer drugs with radiation will build upon the technical advances already made in radiation delivery, to maximise treatment effects and outcomes for our patients. PARADIGM-2 represents just the first trial, with others to follow, to ensure as many patients as possible can benefit from this approach.
The Combinations Alliance is a join initiative between Cancer Reseach UK, the ECMC Network and pharmaceutical industry to increase the number of combination therapies being tested.