Long-term implications of rare brain tumours

Patients diagnosed with oligodendroglioma with a specific molecular profile represent rare tumour groups (about 10% of adult gliomas) with relatively favourable prognosis. These patients are often treated with surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. As patients live for a long period of time, they may also experience long-term toxic side-effects of treatment. The long-term consequences of treatment- and disease-related factors on quality of life and cognitive functioning of these patients are largely unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate quality of life and cognitive functioning in long-term survivors of oligodendroglioma (with IDH mutation and 1p/19q codeletion). This knowledge can support health care professionals prepare patients for any long-term consequences of treatment.

Ethical approval has been obtained in the UK, Germany, and Switzerland.

Recruitment is open in 5/9 centres in the UK, with 10 patients already recruited.

The remaining sites across Europe are at varying stages of obtaining their ethical or local approval.

We have also managed to recruit 3 more sites than initially planned.

The project runs through August 2023.

Note:

Please contact us if you would like to join the study as a collaborator.

We want to research patients that have been diagnosed with a brain tumour called oligodendroglioma. This is a rare type of brain tumour, and many patients continue to live for many years after diagnosis.

People diagnosed with oligodendroglioma are often treated with a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy. Because these brain tumours are so rare, we do not know much about the long-term consequences of the tumour and/or its treatment on patients’ quality of life and memory and concentration (called cognitive functioning).

We want to describe the quality of life and cognitive functioning of people who live a long time with an oligodendroglioma. This can help doctors prepare patients for any long-term consequences of the disease and/or its treatment. It could help us to identify specific areas where more support is needed.