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| Low-grade gliomas are primary brain tumors with slow evolution and a mean patients survival of five years. Currently, patients receive surgery to remove as much tumor as posible and proceed with chemotherapy and radiotherapy only when there are indications of risk of transformation to a faster growing higher-grade tumor (e.g. due to growth to a too large tumor size and/or tumor growth acceleration and/or large initial size and patient age beyond 40 years). When applying cytotoxic therapies such as radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy (temozolomide), the pattern of administration replicates the one used for high grade brain tumors. In those cases a very intensive therapy delays the tumor growth a few months after which it invariably recurs.
In this communication I will present mathematical models able to describe the response of low-grade gliomas to the therapy. Using optimization techniques we have found novel protracted therapeutical schedules that may be preferable for the treatment of low grade gliomas achieving a better tumor control with reduced side effects. I will also describe the difficultities for the experimental implementation and how these have been overcome in a study with animal models. If successful the study may lead to a future clinical trial. |
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