For Healthcare Professionals

Proton Radiotherapy for Pediatric Brain Tumors Requiring Partial Brain Irradiation

clipboard-pencil

About the study

Some patients with brain tumors receive standard radiation to help prevent tumor growth. Although standard radiation kills tumor cells, it can also damage normal tissue in the process and lead to more side effects. This research study is looking at a different form of radiation called proton radiotherapy which helps spare normal tissues while delivering radiation to the tumor or tumor bed. Proton techniques irradiate 2-3 times less normal tissue then standard radiation. This therapy has been used in treatment of other cancers and information from those other research studies suggests that this therapy may help better target brain tumors then standard radiation.
user-3

Who can take part

You may be eligible to participate in the study if you meet the following criteria:

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Inclusion Criteria:


  1. Biopsy proven low grade glioma or astrocytoma, ependymoma, craniopharyngioma, meningioma, neurocytoma, medulloblastoma or gangliogliomas or other rare tumor requiring tumor bed or tumor irradiation. Patients with a presumed diagnosis of optic glioma or gliomas based on imaging and clinical characteristics will also be allowed on this trial.
  2. Patients with biopsy proven high grade glioma (excluding GBM) and a gross total resection and patients with non-disseminated atypical teratoid rhabdoid (ATRT) may also be included.
  3. Pathologic diagnosis must be based on pathology or pathology review by Department of Pathology at MGH or another DF/HCC institution.
  4. Age between 1-25 years.
  5. Life expectancy of greater than 1 year.
  6. ECOG Performance Status 0, 1, 2 or 3 or Lansky performance status 30 or greater.
  7. Girls and women of child-bearing potential and men must agree to use adequate contraception prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

Exclusion Criteria:


  1. Participants who have had radiotherapy to the site to be treated.
  2. Participants with known spinal or distant metastases. Patients with ependymoma, medulloblastoma or germinoma must have metastatic workup including spine MRI to rule out metastases.
  3. Uncontrolled intercurrent illness that would limit compliance with study requirements.
  4. Pregnant or breastfeeding women.
  5. Patients who cannot participate in contributing to the neurocognitive outcomes due to severe neurologic impairment or language barrier (ie not English or Spanish speaking) will be excluded from this study.

pin location

Study Locations

Enter your ZIP code/Postal code/PIN code to locate study sites near you:

How to Apply


Contact the study center to learn if this study is a good match for you.

Study’s details


Contition

Brain Tumor,Low Grade Glioma,Astrocytoma,Ependymoma,Ganglioglioma

Age (in years)

1 - 25

Phase

Phase 2

Participants needed

100

Est. Completion Date

Sep 30, 2025

Treatment type

Interventional


Sponsor

Massachusetts General Hospital

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier

NCT01288235

Study number

10206

Understanding Clinical Trials


Get answers to your questions about clinical trials.What is a clinical research?What does taking part in clinical trials involve?What should I ask the trial doctor?
Vector

Interested?

Sign up to save your favorites, 
receive newsletters, resources, and alerts 
about clinical trials related to your conditions of interest.