Best possible therapies for malignant brain tumours

Medulloblastoma (MB) is a malignant brain tumour that develops in the cerebellum. Metastases can also occur throughout the entire central nervous system via the cerebrospinal fluid. Patients are divided into different risk groups based on the type of tumour, tumour biology, presence of metastases and age at the time of diagnosis. They are prescribed different therapies according to this classification.

Patients with a high-risk disease have a higher risk of relapse. This is why improving treatment is so important. The treatment is intensive and, in addition to tumour surgery, also includes radiotherapy and chemotherapy. It is still unclear which type of radiotherapy and which chemotherapy drugs and intensities offer the best chances of cure and the greatest protection from long-term side effects (such as intellectual impairment).

The aim of the international “SIOP-HRMB” trial is to randomly assign patients to one of the different treatment options. These can then be compared with each other in a few years in terms of their effectiveness and long-term side effects in order to define the best possible therapy. In this way, future patients with high-risk medulloblastoma will be able to benefit from these findings.

In Switzerland, the trial is being led by Ass. Prof. Nicolas Gerber (MD). He is senior physician at the University Children’s Hospital Zurich and is currently overseeing several SPOG trials. The University of Birmingham in the UK is responsible for the international implementation of the trial (sponsor).

For more information on the trial, take a look here.

Caption: Nicolas Gerber (MD), senior physician at the University Children’s Hospital Zurich and head of the SIOP-HRMB trial in Switzerland.