This phase III trial compares temporally-modulated pulsed radiation therapy versus standard radiation therapy in treating patients with newly diagnosed, IDH wildtype, MGMT-unmethylated glioblastoma. After completion of surgery, the standard of care for glioblastoma is radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses high energy x-rays, particles, or radioactive seeds to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. For older and frail patients, standard treatment also includes the chemotherapy drug temozolomide. Temozolomide is in a class of medications called alkylating agents. It works by damaging the cell's DNA and may kill tumor cells and slow down or stop tumor growth. Approximately 70% of glioblastoma patients have MGMT-unmethylated status. MGMT unmethylated tumors are less likely to respond to temozolomide chemotherapy, so there is more reliance on radiation therapy to kill the tumor cells. Recent clinical trials studying new therapies for MGMT-unmethylated glioblastoma have failed to improve outcomes over temozolomide. These recent studies also indicate that 80% of patients experience a decline in memory and thinking function after treatment. TMPRT differs from standard radiation therapy by delivering the same amount of radiation dose in 10-13 "pulses" with 3-minute breaks between pulses. TMPRT with temozolomide may work better than standard radiation therapy with temozolomide in increasing survival, as well as improving memory and thinking function in patients with newly diagnosed, IDH wildtype, MGMT-unmethylated glioblastoma.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To determine whether TMPRT concurrently with TMZ can significantly improve time to neurocognitive function (NCF) failure compared to standard radiation therapy (RT) with temozolomide for patients with MGMT-unmethylated GBM. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine whether TMPRT can significantly improve time to NCF failure for the subset of older patients (age ≥ 65) with MGMT-unmethylated GBM. II. To evaluate between arm differences in NCF across time. III. To evaluate whether TMPRT prolongs overall survival (OS) compared to the control arm. IV. To determine if progression free survival (PFS) is prolonged after TMPRT compared to the control arm. V. To determine if TMPRT improves quality of life (QoL), compared to the control arm, as measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Brain (FACT-Br) Total Score. VI. To determine if TMPRT improves patient-reported cognitive outcome (PRCO) compared to the control arm, as measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Brain Cognitive Index (FACT-Br- CI). VII. To determine the impact of TMPRT on longitudinal changes in frailty after treatment compared to the control arm, as measured by the Deficit Accumulation Frailty Index (DAFI) derived from the Practical Geriatric Assessment (PGA). VIII. To evaluate if TMPRT reduces toxicity compared to the control arm. EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES: I. To evaluate the impact of TMPRT on functional, social, and emotional QoL compared to the control arm, as measured by the FACT-Br. II. To evaluate the impact of TMPRT on longitudinal changes of specific geriatric assessment subscales compared to the control arm, as measured by the PGA. III. To evaluate the impact of TMPRT on treatment burden during RT compared to the control arm, as measured by the FACT-Br Physical Wellbeing subscale (FACT-Br PWB). IV. To investigate if TMPRT results in less white matter injury on post-treatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). V. To collect blood samples for future translational studies. VI. To correlate NCF with QoL and frailty. VII. To determine if baseline NCF, QoL, and frailty are associated with OS. VIII. To correlate adverse events with baseline frailty and specific geriatric assessment subscales. IX. To determine the concordance between institutional and central MGMT promoter status. OUTLINE: Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. ARM 1: CONCURRENT TREATMENT (CYCLE 1): Patients receive standard RT over 12-15 minutes daily, 5 days a week, for 3 or 6 weeks. Patients also receive temozolomide orally (PO) once daily (QD) on days 1-21 or 1-42. Cycle 1 treatment continues for 21 or 42 days in in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. ADJUVANT TREATMENT (CYCLES 2+): Approximately 1 month after completion of standard RT, patients receive temozolomide PO QD on days 1-5 of each cycle. Cycles repeat every 28 days for 6 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. ARM 2: CONCURRENT TREATMENT (CYCLE 1): Patients receive TMPRT, delivered as 10-13 "pulses" over 30-40 minutes each with a 3 minute break in between, 5 days a week for 3 or 6 weeks. Patients also receive temozolomide PO QD on days 1-21 or 1-42. Cycle 1 treatment continues for 21 or 42 days in in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. ADJUVANT TREATMENT (CYCLES 2+): Approximately 1 month after completion of standard RT, patients receive temozolomide PO QD on days 1-5 of each cycle. Cycles repeat every 28 days for 6 cycles in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. All patients also undergo computed tomography (CT) or MRI scans, as well as optional blood sample collection throughout the trial. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed at months 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 12, then annually for 4 years.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
398
Undergo collection of blood
Undergo CT
Undergo MRI
Ancillary studies
Undergo standard RT
Given PO
Undergo TMPRT
Neurocognitive function (NCF)
This endpoint will be evaluated using each NCF testing interval. NCF failure is defined as a decline in NCF using the reliable change index (RCI) on at least one of the following tests: Hopkins Verbal Learning Test - Revised (HVLT-R) Total Recall, HVLT-R Delayed Recall, HVLT-R Delayed Recognition, Trail Making Test (TMT) Part A, TMT Part B, or Controlled Oral Word Association (COWA). The cumulative incidence approach will be used to estimate the time to neurocognitive failure to account for the competing risk of death. Gray's test will assess statistically significant differences in the distribution of NCF failure times (Gray 1988).
Time frame: Up to 9 months after completion of radiation therapy (RT)
Time to NCF failure in the subset of older patients (≤ 65 years)
Will be measured by the HVLT-R, COWA, and TMT. A mixed effects model will be used to assess changes of standardized neurocognitive scores across time using all available data while adjusting for stratification variables and other baseline characteristics. Fixed effects will consist of treatment arm, baseline score, Recursive Partitioning Analysis (RPA) class, fractionation, tumor treating fields therapy (TTFields), steroid use, anti-seizure medication use as well as the interaction between time and treatment arm.
Time frame: Up to 9 months after completion of RT
NCF across time
Will be measured by the HVLT-R, COWA, and TMT. A mixed effects model will be used to assess changes of standardized neurocognitive scores across time using all available data while adjusting for stratification variables and other baseline characteristics. Fixed effects will consist of treatment arm, baseline score, RPA class, fractionation, TTFields, steroid use, anti-seizure medication use as well as the interaction between time and treatment arm.
Time frame: Up to 9 months after completion of RT
Quality of Life (QoL)
The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Brain (FACT-Br) total score will be used to measure overall QoL. Scores will be analyzed similarly to the individual NCF tests as described above. Briefly, mixed effects models will be performed. If the time by treatment interaction is significant, then tests will be conducted at each timepoint, within the model framework. Missing data will also be assessed and sensitivity analyses performed as needed.
Time frame: Up to 9 months after completion of RT
Patient-reported cognitive outcomes (PRCO)
Nine items make up the FACT-Br-Cognitive Index score that will be used to assess PRCO. Scores will be analyzed similarly to the individual NCF tests as described above. Briefly, mixed effects models will be performed. If the time by treatment interaction is significant, then tests will be conducted at each timepoint, within the model framework. Missing data will also be assessed and sensitivity analyses performed as needed.
Time frame: Up to 9 months after completion of RT
Frailty
The primary frailty endpoint is the Deficit Accumulation Frailty Index (DAFI) which requires at least 30 items in the score for it to be valid (Searle 2008). Thus, the NCF score will be removed from the DAFI score calculation since the primary endpoint of the trial is NCF. At least 90% of the DAFI must be completed to be included in the analysis. The continuous DAFI score will be analyzed similarly to the individual NCF tests as described above in the section. Briefly, mixed effects models will be performed. If the time by treatment interaction is significant, then tests will be conducted at each timepoint, within the model framework. Missing data will also be assessed and sensitivity analyses performed as needed.
Time frame: Up to 9 months after completion of RT
Overall survival (OS)
OS rates will be estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences between treatment arms will be tested using the log rank test.
Time frame: From the date of randomization to the date of death, or, otherwise, the last follow-up date on which the patient was reported alive, assessed up to 9 months after completion of RT
Progression-free survival (PFS)
PFS rates will be estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences between treatment arms will be tested using the log rank test.
Time frame: From the date of randomization to the date of progression or death, whichever occurs first, or the last follow-up date on which the patient was reported alive, assessed up to 9 months after completion of RT
Incidence of adverse events (AEs)
AEs will be evaluated using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. Counts of all AEs by grade will be provided by treatment arm. Counts and frequencies will be provided for the worst grade AE experienced by the patient by treatment arm. The rate of grade 3+ AEs and the rate of grade 3+ central nervous system necrosis, stroke, and intra-cranial hemorrhage will be compared between treatment arms using a Chi-square test at a two-sided significance level of 0.05.
Time frame: Up to 9 months after completion of RT
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