Dr. Stewart Goldman, MD

Antiangiogenic Therapy

for Pediatric Brain Cancer

Patients with relapsed medulloblastoma, ependymoma and ATRT have a very poor prognosis whether treated with conventional chemotherapy, high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue, irradiation or combinations of these modalities. Antiangiogenetic therapy has emerged as new treatment option in solid malignancies. The frequent, metronomic schedule targets both proliferating tumor cells and endothelial cells, and minimizes toxicity. In this study the investigators will evaluate the use of biweekly intravenous bevacizumab in combination with five oral drugs (thalidomide, celecoxib, fenofibrate, and alternating cycles of daily low-dose oral etoposide and cyclophosphamide), augmented with alternating courses of intrathecal etoposide and cytarabine. The aim of the study is to extend therapy options for children with recurrent or progressive medulloblastoma, ependymoma and ATRT, for whom no known curative therapy exists, by prolonging survival while maintaining good quality of life. The primary objective of the MEMMAT trial is to evaluate the activity of this multidrug antiangiogenic approach in these heavily pretreated children and young adults. Additionally, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), as well as feasibility and toxicity will be examined.