Gefitinib in Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme

OBJECTIVES:

I. Determine treatment effectiveness of gefitinib, in terms of response rate, time to progression, survival at 52 weeks, progression-free survival at 6 months, and overall survival, in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme.

II. Determine the toxic effects of this drug in these patients. III. Assess fatigue, depression, excessive daytime somnolence, and quality of life in patients treated with this drug.

IV. Assess individual variation in responses, pharmacokinetic parameters, and/or biological correlates due to genetic differences in enzymes involved in transport, metabolism, and/or mechanism of action of this drug in these patients.

V. Determine if the type of epidermal growth factor receptor affects tumor response and outcome in patients treated with this drug.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Patients receive oral gefitinib daily. Courses repeat every 8 weeks for up to 2 years in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Quality of life is assessed at baseline, before each treatment course, every 4 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 4 years, and then annually for 5 years.

Patients are followed every 8 weeks until tumor progression and then every 3 months for 5 years and annually for up to 10 years. Patients removed from study treatment for reasons other than disease progression are followed every 4 months for 1 year, every 6 months for 4 years, and then annually for 5 years.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 92 patients will be accrued for this study within 14 months.

Inclusion criteria

• Histologically confirmed newly diagnosed WHO grade IV astrocytoma (glioblastoma multiforme) or gliosarcoma

• No WHO grade III anaplastic astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, or mixed oligoastrocytoma
• Completed standard external beam radiotherapy within the past 2-5 weeks

• No evidence of tumor progression during radiotherapy
• Performance status - ECOG 0-2
• Absolute neutrophil count at least 1,500/mm^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm^3
• Hemoglobin at least 10.0 g/dL
• Bilirubin no greater than 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
• AST no greater than 3 times ULN
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 times ULN
• No other active malignancy
• No uncontrolled infection
• No other severe concurrent disease that would preclude study participation
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No prior chemotherapy (including polifeprosan 20 with carmustine implant) for this tumor
• See Disease Characteristics
• No prior stereotactic radiosurgery or interstitial brachytherapy
• No more than 15 weeks since prior surgery