Electric field therapy for brain tumors: a new hope?
NCT ID NCT05310448
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests the safety of a wearable device called Optune that creates low-intensity electric fields to disrupt cancer cell division in brainstem gliomas. Ten adults with this rare brain tumor will wear the device to see if it can slow tumor growth without serious side effects. The goal is to control the disease, not cure it.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 10 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2022
- Expected to finish
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May 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age \>= 18 years * Karnofsky performance status \>= 70% * Life expectancy \> 12 weeks as determined by the investigator * Diagnosis of glioma with at least partial involvement or invasion of thalamus, cerebral peduncles, midbrain, pons, or medulla. Confirmation of diagnosis by biopsy or maximal safe resection preferred. If multi-disciplinary tumor board recommend no benefit and likely harm of attempting biopsy then can establish consensus clinical diagnosis. If foregoing biopsy then tumor board will estimate tumor stage based on clinical presentation and radiographic findings. * Completion of all previous therapy (including surgery and radiotherapy) for the treatment of cancer \>= 4 weeks before the start of study therapy. * Willingness and ability of the subject to comply with scheduled visits, drug administration plan, protocolspecified laboratory tests, other study procedures, and study restrictions. * Evidence of a personally signed informed consent indicating that the subject is aware of the neoplastic nature of the disease and has been informed of the procedures to be followed, the experimental nature of the therapy, alternatives, potential risks and discomforts, potential benefits, and other pertinent aspects of study participation. * Patients must have adequate organ and marrow function, within 28 days of Cycle 1 Day 1 of Temozolomide, as defined below: Hematology: * Hemoglobin \>= 9.0 g/dl (no transfusions allowed within 7 days of cycle 1 day 1 to meet entry criteria) (within 28 days of cycle 1 day 1 of temozolomide) * White blood cell (WBC) \>= 2000/uL (after at least 7 days without growth factor support or transfusion) (within 28 days of cycle 1 day 1 of temozolomide) * Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) \>= 1,500/mcL (after at least 7 days without growth factor support or transfusion) (within 28 days of cycle 1 day 1 of temozolomide) * Platelets \>= 100,000/mcL (no transfusions allowed within 7 days of cycle 1 day 1 to meet entry criteria) (within 28 days of cycle 1 day 1 of temozolomide) * Prothrombin time (PT)/partial thromboplastin time (PTT) =\< 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) (within 28 days of cycle 1 day 1 of temozolomide) Chemistry * Total bilirubin =\< 2 institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) (within 28 days of cycle 1 day 1 of temozolomide) * Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) =\< 3 institutional upper limit of normal (ULN) (within 28 days of cycle 1 day 1 of temozolomide) * Serum creatinine =\< 2 mg/dL (or glomerular filtration rate \>= 40 mL/min) (within 28 days of cycle 1 day 1 of temozolomide) * The effects of combination therapy with tumor treating fields (TTF) and temozolomide on the developing human fetus are unknown. For this reason and because other therapies used in this trial are known to be teratogenic, female of child-bearing potential (FCBP) must have a negative serum or urine pregnancy test prior to starting therapy. * FCBP and men must agree to use adequate contraception (hormonal or barrier method of birth control; abstinence) prior to study entry and for the duration of study participation. Should a woman become pregnant or suspect she is pregnant while she or her partner is participating in this study, she should inform her treating physician immediately. Men treated or enrolled on this protocol must also agree to use adequate contraception prior to the study, for the duration of study participation, and 12 months after completion of TTF and Temozolomide administration. A female of childbearing potential (FCBP) is a sexually mature woman who: 1) has not undergone a hysterectomy or bilateral oophorectomy; or 2) has not been naturally postmenopausal for at least 24 consecutive months (i.e., has had menses at any time in the preceding 24 consecutive months. Exclusion Criteria: An individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study: \- Patients who have completed chemotherapy or radiotherapy more than 26 weeks prior to entering the study. i. Completion of radiotherapy 8-12 weeks prior to starting the tumor treating fields will be considered a minor deviation. ii. Completion of radiotherapy 13-26 weeks prior to starting the tumor treating fields will be considered a major deviation. * Patients who are receiving any other investigational agents or an investigational device within 21 days before first administration of study device. * History of allergic reactions attributed to compounds of similar composition to those used for transducer placement. * Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements. * Significant cardiovascular disease (eg, myocardial infarction, arterial thromboembolism, cerebrovascular thromboembolism) within 3 months prior to start of study therapy; angina requiring therapy; symptomatic peripheral vascular disease; New York Heart Association Class 3 or 4 congestive heart failure; or uncontrolled Grade ≥3 hypertension (diastolic blood pressure ≥100 mmHg or systolic blood pressure ≥160 mmHg) despite antihypertensive therapy. * Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients on combination antiretroviral therapy are ineligible because of increased risk of lethal infections when treated with marrow-suppressive therapy such as Temozolomide. Appropriate studies will be undertaken in patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy when indicated.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Emory Proton Therapy Center
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGAtlanta, Georgia, 30308, United States
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Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGAtlanta, Georgia, 30342, United States
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Emory University/Winship Cancer Institute
RECRUITINGAtlanta, Georgia, 30322, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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