Enhancing radiation therapy for patients with glioblastoma

Abstract

Radiation therapy has been the foundation of therapy following maximal surgical resection in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma for decades and the primary therapy for unresected tumors. Using the standard approach with radiation and temozolomide, however, outcomes are poor, and glioblastoma remains an incurable disease with the majority of recurrences and progression within the radiation treatment field. As such, there is much interest in elucidating the mechanisms of resistance to radiation therapy and in developing novel approaches to overcoming this treatment resistance.

Keywords::

• glioblastoma
• radiation therapy
• radiosensitizer

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Research support was provided by Plexxikon, GlaxoSmithKline and Vertex to KL Ligon. Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Esai, Exelixis, Genentech/Roche, Geron, Medimmune, Merck, Novartis, sanofi-aventis and Vascular Biogenics provided research support to PY Wen. PY Wen is on the advisory board for Novartis, Genentech/Roche and is a speaker for Merck, Genentech/Roche and GlaxoSmithKline. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.