The 1-year and 2-year survival rates were 37.8% and 10.4% with radiation plus temozolomide, versus 22.2% and 2.8% with radiation therapy alone. The radiation and temozolomide combination also modestly improved progression-free survival. Median overall survival in patients treated with both radiation and temozolomide was 9.3 months, compared with 7.6 months in patients who received radiation therapy alone. In the CCTG trial, more than 560 patients aged 65 and older with advanced glioblastoma were randomly assigned to receive either short-course radiation alone or radiation plus temozolomide, given both at the same time (concurrent) and for an additional 12 rounds after radiation (adjuvant). “In fact, the radiation course is often truncated to 2, 3, or 4 weeks rather than the 6 weeks that is standardly used, along with chemotherapy, in the younger patient population,” he said. The trial, however, was restricted to patients younger than 70, and very few patients over age 65 were included in the trial, he said.īecause of concerns about serious side effects of chemotherapy, radiation alone has been the standard of care for patients aged 70 and older, Dr.
A pivotal 2005 trial showed that temozolomide can improve how long patients with glioblastoma live. Perry explained, and overall incidence of the disease has been creeping up in recent years. The peak age for glioblastoma diagnoses is 64, Dr. This is an important group of patients, said the trial’s leader, James Perry, M.D., of Sunnybrook Research Institute in Toronto. The trial, led by the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG), focused on patients over the age of 65. One of the trials tested the regimen in patients with glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive types of brain cancer. Improved Survival in Older Patients with Glioblastoma “These are important studies in the brain cancer field,” he said. In addition to improving survival, both trials resolved important questions about whether specific groups of patients benefit from receiving temozolomide, said Mark Gilbert, M.D., chief of NCI’s Neuro-Oncology Branch. The trial investigators and other leading brain cancer researchers agreed that the results of the two trials will change the standard of care.
By law, you must keep the windscreen washer filled, but remember, to keep your windows clean, you must do the inside as well.The standard treatment that some patients with brain cancer receive is likely to change, based on findings from two large clinical trials presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago this week.īoth trials showed that administering the chemotherapy drug temozolomide (Temodar®) in addition to radiation therapy increased how long patients lived overall and without their disease progressing. Check your wipers regularly, that your tyres are properly inflated and have enough tread, and that all of your lights work. Making sure your car is properly maintained will make a difference too. Once you're out of the water, dry the brakes by lightly applying them several times, after checking there is no traffic close behind you.
In a manual car, keep the revs high by keeping the clutch partly engaged while in the water. Once you are in the water, give room to other cars and pedestrians to avoid swamping them, and drive slowly but maintain momentum - taking your foot off the accelerator in deep water could allow water to travel up the exhaust pipe. Remember, the water will hide other hazards such as potholes. If you do need to carry on, drive on the highest section of the road, but don't set off if a vehicle is approaching you through the water.
Before driving across a flooded patch of road, ask yourself if there is another way. Before overtaking put your wipers on their fastest setting.Įven if the water on the road looks shallow, it may be much deeper than you think. Put your lights on - whenever you use your wipers you probably also need your headlights. In stormy conditions, it is more difficult to see other vehicles, road signs and the road itself. Avoid using cruise control on wet roads - it may create problems if you start to aquaplane.