Chemotherapy delivered straight to the brain: a new hope for recurrent tumors?

NCT ID NCT00308165

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This early-phase study tested a method called convection-enhanced delivery to pump the chemotherapy drug topotecan directly into brain tumors in 16 patients with recurrent malignant brain tumors. The goal was to see if this approach is safe and to find the best dose, while also monitoring tumor progression and quality of life. Because it is a phase 1 trial, the main focus is on safety, not yet on whether it works as a treatment.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

Topotecan (chemotherapy drug)

What this could lead to

If successful, this approach could offer a new way to deliver chemotherapy directly to brain tumors, potentially improving treatment effectiveness while reducing side effects.

What could go wrong

This is a very early phase 1 trial with only 16 participants, focused on safety and dosing. It is not designed to prove the treatment works, and the drug may still cause serious neurological side effects.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

brain cancer brain stem glioma brainstem cancer primary brain neoplasm

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Columbia University Medical Center Neurological Institute

    New York, New York, 10032, United States