Dose-Escalation Study of Carboplatin Administration Into the Brain for Glioblastoma Multiforme

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 years old or over * Male or female * World Health Organisation performance status 0-2 * Life expectancy greater than 3 months * Capacity to give informed consent * Histologically confirmed glioblastoma multiforme. Patients with a previous history of a lower grade gliomas are eligible if histology at relapse confirms glioblastoma * Progressive and/or recurrent disease confirmed by MRI * Progressive disease, defined as 25% or greater increase in contrast-enhanced tumour volume on T1-weighted MRI * Supratentorial disease * Disease confined to a single quadrant of brain * It must be feasible to achieve sufficient carboplatin distribution in the peritumoural tissue as defined by the principal investigator and/or trial coordinator. Feasibility may be determined through the use of appropriate software that uses diffusion imaging and fluid dynamics mathematical modelling to predict infusate distribution * Recurrent disease following conventional treatment, including surgery (biopsy or debulking), radiotherapy and chemotherapy (temozolomide) * More than 30 days since prior chemotherapy (42 days for nitrosureas or mitomycin) * More than 90 days since radiotherapy or radiosurgery * More than 7 days since tumour debulking or other neurosurgery * More than 30 days since prior investigational agents or participation in another clinical research trial * Platelet count \> or = 100,000/mm3 * Absolute neutrophil count \> or = 1000mm3 * Total bilirubin no greater than 1.5 x upper limit of normal (except patients with Gilbert's syndrome) * AST and ALT \< or = to 2 times upper limit of normal * PT and APTT no greater than control * Creatinine clearance \> 50ml/min using Cockcroft Formula * Fertile patients must agree to use effective contraception during and for 2 months after study treatment * Negative pregnancy test if appropriate Exclusion Criteria: * Clinical evidence of raised intracranial pressure. * Concurrent medical condition that would preclude general anaesthesia. * Severe acute infection. * Pregnancy or breast feeding. * Documented allergy to carboplatin or cisplatin. * Prior participation in a trial of biological therapy (e.g. monoclonal antibodies, gene therapy, oncolytic viral therapy, immunotoxin therapy). * Prior local chemotherapy, including administration of biodegradable polymer wafers containing carmustine. * Prior enrolment in this study. * Concurrent anticancer drugs. * Concurrent investigational therapies. * Infratentorial or intraventricular tumour visible on MRI.