In what is believed to be the first study of its kind on glioma cells, dendritic cell immunotherapy extended the median length of survival. A larger Phase II study is now underway. In what is believed to be the first study of its kind on glioma cells, dendritic cell immunotherapy extended the median length of survival. This early study offers a glimmer of hope for patients with these catastrophic tumors, and a larger Phase II study is now underway. Results of the Phase I study are published in the Feb. 1 issue of the journal Cancer Research, and a larger Phase II study is currently underway.
Malignant gliomas are very deadly tumors.
Even with aggressive therapy, including surgical resection followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy, the median length of survival is less than one year. But the median survival for patients who were given the dendritic cell vaccine was extended significantly. In fact, according to the paper, median length of survival for patients in the study was 455 days, compared with 257 days for the control group that consisted of patients with similar characteristics related to age, gender, tumor removal and treatment. The same surgeons were involved with both groups of patients. We see evidence that we are moving in the right direction, and additional studies will be conducted to target the tumor cells even more effectively.