The goal of this single arm Phase I feasibility study is to investigate the tolerability of cannabis with concurrent chemoradiation in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). A strain of cannabis provided by The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) that has a high concentration of cannabidiol (CBD) and a low concentration of THC (relative to average street cannabis) will be tested in order to maximize clinical efficacy while minimizing intoxicating side effects in this medically-ill population.
The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility and the effects of cannabis with high concentrations of CBD in patients receiving chemoradiation for GBM. This is not a therapeutic study for the treatment of glioblastoma. Patients will first complete a cannabis sampling session to assess for initial marijuana tolerability. Proceeding this, patients will complete 3-5 outpatient smoking sessions per week over a 6 week period. During each session, patients will be given 90 minutes to smoke 0.5 to 2 cannabis cigarettes. Outcome measures will include measures of pain, mood, nausea, quality of life, and the both the potentially positive and negative subjective effects of cannabis. Food intake, opioid use, and compliance to cannabis treatment will be investigated. It is hypothesized that concurrent use of cannabis with chemoradiation in the treatment of patients with GBM will be feasible, well tolerated and may decrease radiation-induced toxicities.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
1
Cannabis cigarettes provided by NIDA that contain high levels of CBD (4.8%) and low levels of THC (3.23%). Patients will smoke one-half (1/2) to two (2) cannabis cigarettes prior to receiving chemoradiation.
Oral alkylating agent with demonstrated antitumor activity.
standard fractionation radiotherapy of 60 Gy in 30 treatments with temozolomide.
Columbia University Medical Center- Department of Radiation Oncology
New York, New York, United States
New York State Psychiatric Institute
New York, New York, United States
Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events [Safety and Tolerability]
Number of cannabis-related adverse events A 44-item computerized subjective-effects questionnaire visual analog scale (VAS), comprising a series of 100-mm lines labeled 'not at all' (0 mm) at one end and 'extremely' at the other end, will be completed at baseline, after the 90 minutes of cannabis availability and at the end of the session. The VAS included mood, physical symptom, and drug effect descriptors; participants will be instructed to rate the extent to which each descriptor applied to them at that moment.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Number of Radiation Induced Toxicities
All patients receiving radiation treatments are routinely seen by the radiation oncologist once a week for a status check. The RTOG cooperative group common toxicity criteria will be used to assess for neurological toxicities including paresthesia, weakness, somnolence or agitation, incoordination, headache, hearing deficit, tremor, speech deficit, and ataxia.
Time frame: 6 weeks
Number of Opioid Medications Administered
Patients will be asked to provide to us the number of opioid medications they took over the 6-week treatment course. The amount of opioids used will be converted to oral morphine equivalents and tallied for each day.
Time frame: 6 weeks
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