Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah participated in an international clinical trial that tested a new combination treatment for people with recurring grade 3 astrocytoma, a type of aggressive brain cancer. The Phase 3 STELLAR trial, led by Orbus Therapeutics, examined the effects of combining eflornithine, a drug that targets tumor cell growth, with lomustine, an oral chemotherapy commonly used for brain cancers.
The study involved 343 patients from 74 hospitals and clinics across North America and Europe. All participants had previously undergone radiation and chemotherapy and experienced recurrence of their disease. As medical definitions evolved during the course of the study, three types of brain tumors were included: glioblastoma, grade 3 IDH-mutant astrocytoma, and grade 4 IDH-mutant astrocytoma.
Participants were divided into two groups. One group received both eflornithine and lomustine, while the control group received only lomustine. Overall survival rates did not differ between the two groups when considering all patients. There was also no observed benefit for those with grade 4 IDH-mutant astrocytomas or glioblastoma.
However, for patients diagnosed with grade 3 IDH-mutant astrocytoma, those who received the combination therapy lived significantly longer—about 35 months compared to 24 months for those treated with lomustine alone. The progression-free survival rate also improved; patients on standard treatment had a median progression-free survival of 7.2 months, while those on the combination therapy reached a median of 15.8 months.
"This is a groundbreaking development. Advances in treating brain tumors are critical to overcoming this difficult diagnosis for Huntsman Cancer Institute's patients and patients throughout the country," said Neli Ulrich, PhD, MS, chief scientific officer and executive director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Huntsman Cancer Institute and Jon M. and Karen Huntsman Presidential Professor in Cancer Research in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Utah. "With every breakthrough in the treatment of astrocytoma, we move closer to transforming uncertainty into hope. Through federally funded cancer research and strong public–private partnerships, we are accelerating scientific discovery and bringing new, powerful treatments to the patients who need them most."
The clinical trial was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute as well as funding from Huntsman Cancer Foundation. Results have been published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
