Emerging targeted treatments for malignant glioma

This paper focuses on the medical management of malignant gliomas, which is currently undergoing change. It suggests that as surgery and radiotherapy are of limited benefit in the treatment of these tumours, medical therapies may have the potential to offer a better alternative. The current therapies for glioma and the targeted agents in clinical trials are reviewed. There is a general acceptance that temozolomide in combination with radiotherapy is replacing radiotherapy alone as first-line therapy in high-grade astrocytic gliomas. Within the realms of clinical research, it can be seen that there is a shift away from therapies targeting the end effect of deregulated cell-cycle control, to targeting specific and individual genetic aberrations in tumours. Finally, the paper questions current clinical trial methodology and tentatively suggests ways in which this may be improved.