9 January 2024 University of Birmingham.
A new trial has found that children with neuroblastoma may benefit from receiving certain antineoplastic drugs and chemotherapy.
The results of the Beacon trial, conducted by the UK Clinical Trials Unit for Cancer Research at the University of Birmingham, found that combining anti-angiogenic drugs that prevent tumours from forming blood vessels with a variety of chemotherapy drugs led to tumours shrinking in more young people, from 18% in the control group to 26% in the bevacizumab group.
The findings were published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The trial randomized 160 young people aged 1-21 years from 43 hospitals in 11 European countries, half of whom received an anti-angiogenic drug called bevacizumab in addition to their usual **. The likelihood of responding to bevacizumab increased in the group receiving bevacizumab**, from 18% in the group that received only the established drug to 26% in the group that received additional drugs. In addition, patients receiving bevacizumab** had better one-year progression-free survival.
The trial is one of many collaborations between the University of Birmingham and European expert groups SIOPEN (International Society of Paediatric Oncology European Neuroblastoma) and ITCC (Innovation for Children with Cancer**).
Dr. Lucas Moreno, Director of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at the University Hospital of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, and principal investigator of the study, said:
Beacon is a hypothetical trial to determine an effective scenario that is currently being further studied. We are pleased that the resulting data has been incorporated into the current UK clinical practice guidelines and bevacizumab has been included in the criteria for neuroblastoma.
Dr Laura Danielson, head of research for children and adolescents at Cancer Research UK who was involved in funding the trial, said: "There are limited options for effective children with neuroblastoma who do not respond or ** after the initial **. The results of the Beacon trial offer more hope for these families to find a combination of drugs that is better than standard chemotherapy alone for the disease.
These step-by-step improvements can make all the difference for cancer patients, and it's great to see that standards of care across the UK have been updated based on these results to provide more options for children with neuroblastoma.
At the same time, more work is needed to improve the survival and long-term quality of life of children affected by neuroblastoma, and this trial helps pave the way for research to better understand the biology of the disease and further efforts to improve outcomes. ”
Patricia Blanc, President of Imagine for Margo, and Gail Jackson, CEO of Solving Kids's Cancer UK, commented:
We are pleased to fund the Beacon trial, which has been a lifeline for children with ** and refractory neuroblastoma. It's incredibly encouraging to see such positive data from this study, which is now impacting clinical practice. ”
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