Direct brain infusion trial offers new hope for kids with relapsed glioma

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Documented histologic diagnosis of relapsed or refractory glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), anaplastic astrocytoma (AA), fibrillary astrocytomas (FA), pilomyxoid astrocytoma (PXA), oligodendroglioma, or anaplastic mixed oligoastrocytoma (AOA), or radiologically diagnosed diffuse intrinsic brainstem glioma (DIPG) * Must have at least one confirmed and evaluable tumor site * Must have a Karnofsky or Lansky performance status ≥60%. * No chemotherapy for three weeks prior to treatment * Patients must have adequate hematologic reserve with absolute neutrophils≥1000/mm3 and platelets ≥100,000/ mm3 * Pre-enrollment chemistry parameters must show: bilirubin\<1.5x the institutional upper limit of normal (IUNL); Aspartate Aminotransferase( AST) or Alanine transaminase (ALT)\<2.5x IUNL and creatinine\<1.5x IUNL * Pre-enrollment coagulation parameters (PT and PTT) must be ≤1.5x the IUNL * Growth factor(s): Must not have received within 1 week of entry onto this study * Steroids: Systemic corticosteroid therapy is permissible in patients with Central Nervous System (CNS) tumors for treatment of increased intracranial pressure or symptomatic tumor edema. Patients with CNS tumors who are receiving dexamethasone must be on a stable or decreasing dose for at least 1 week prior to study entry. * Patients of reproductive age must agree to use a medically effective method of contraception during and for a period of three months after the treatment period. A pregnancy test will be performed on each premenopausal female of childbearing potential immediately prior to entry into the research study * Patients or their parents/guardians must be able to understand and give written informed consent. Informed consent must be obtained at the time of patient screening * Because of known concerns with Avastin and wound healing, craniotomy patients are eligible for the treatment if they have had a craniotomy greater than two weeks prior to Intra-Arterial (IA) therapy. Craniotomy or major procedure after SIACI Avastin therapy should wait 4 weeks. Minor surgeries may be performed after two weeks Exclusion Criteria: * Females who are pregnant or lactating * Females of childbearing potential and fertile men will be informed as to the potential risk of procreation while participating in this research trial and will be advised that they must use effective contraception during and for a period of three months after the treatment period. If they do not agree, they will be ineligible for the study * Patients with significant concurrent medical or psychiatric conditions that would place them at increased risk or affect their ability to receive or comply with treatment or post-treatment clinical monitoring