Dr. Alexis Demopoulos, MD

Cetuximab + Reirradiation

for Brain Cancer

Primary brain tumors are typically treated by surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, either individually or in combination. Present therapies are inadequate, as evidenced by the low 5-year survival rate for brain cancer patients, with median survival at approximately 12 months. Glioma is the most common form of primary brain cancer, afflicting approximately 7,000 patients in the United States each year. These highly malignant cancers remain a significant unmet clinical need in oncology. GBM often has a high expression of EFGR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor), which is associated with poor prognosis. Several methods of inhibiting this receptor have been tested, including monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The investigators hypothesize that in patients with recurring GBM, intracranial superselective intra-arterial infusion of Cetuximab (CTX), at a dose of 250mg/m2 in conjunction with hypofractionated radiation, will be safe and efficacious and prevent tumor progression in patients with recurrent, residual GBM.