Gadolinium Agent Enhances Radiation for Brain Metastases

Early results from an ongoing phase III clinical trial suggest that a motexafin gadolinium agent (Xcytrin) can enhance the cancer-killing effects of radiation and cause significant tumor shrinkage and longer survival in patients with the most common type of brain tumor. The trial is being conducted at more than 40 centers in Europe, Canada, and the United States.

Patients in the study are randomly assigned to receive either treatment with motexafin gadolinium plus standard whole-brain radiation therapy or radiation therapy alone. Those receiving motexafin gadolinium are given intravenous injections of the drug about two hours before undergoing radiation treatment. Ten treatments are given over a two-week period.

Twenty-five patients with brain metastases received motexafin gadolinium prior to whole-brain radiation therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging results were available for only 19 patients. Of those, significant tumor shrinkage (at least 50%) was found in 13 patients. Among the full group of 24, 19 maintained or improved brain function, while only one died because of tumor progression.

This is one of the first studies to look critically at four important factors related to brain metastases: survival, quality of life, tumor progression, and patients' neurologic function, noted John Suh, M.D., principal investigator of the study at the Cleveland Clinic (OH, USA). So far, the initial results for this drug are encouraging in all four areas.