Cancer Stem Cell Test Improves Survival of Patients with Deadly Brain Tumor

A new study has found that a cancer stem cell test can accurately determine more effective treatments, resulting in increased survival rates for patients with glioblastoma, a lethal brain tumor.

Researchers at The University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH, USA) conducted a multi-institutional phase 3 clinical trial focusing on patients whose glioblastoma had recurred after initial treatment. They tested the efficacy of ChemoID, a CLIA and CAP-accredited diagnostic test developed by Cordgenics LLC (Huntington, WV, USA). Patients in the trial were randomized to either have their chemotherapy treatment chosen through ChemoID or have physicians select the chemotherapy using conventional methods. Patients whose treatments were determined using ChemoID experienced a significantly lower risk of death and survived, on average, 3.5 months longer than those in the physician-choice group.

As ChemoID concentrates on selecting treatments utilizing commercially available chemotherapies, this approach provides patients with more effective treatment at a reduced cost. The research team plans to seek funding to further develop ChemoID, potentially modifying the platform to include immunotherapy treatments or targeted therapies. Incorporating anti-cancer therapy that targets cancer stem cells earlier in the treatment plan could eliminate ineffective treatments, allowing patients to receive the maximum therapeutic benefit.

“ChemoID looks at cancer stem cells and their sensitivity to specified drugs to see which ones will work in a given cancer setting,” said Soma Sengupta, MD, PhD, a co-first author of the research and a University of Cincinnati Cancer Center physician-researcher. “We were pleasantly surprised that the ChemoID group did better and that a cancer stem cell-derived test is important in this disease. Where survival in recurrent glioblastoma is extremely poor, 3.5 months or more is wonderful. Some of my patients on this trial are still alive.”