Glioblastoma is the most common type of brain cancer in adults. Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to treat, and for many people the tumour grows back or gets worse quite quickly.
The usual treatment involves:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy and radiotherapy, starting about 4–6 weeks after surgery
However, during the weeks between surgery and the start of radiotherapy/chemotherapy, some cancer cells may continue to grow. Studies show that about half of patients experience what is called rapid early progression (REP)—this means the tumour grows again in the gap between surgery and starting further treatment. REP is linked with shorter overall survival, and at the moment there are no proven ways to prevent it.
What is this study trying to do?
Researchers believe that giving a small dose of radiotherapy before surgery might help:
- Treat tumour cells earlier
- Reduce the chance of rapid early progression
- Improve outcomes for patients
This study is called POBIG (PreOperative Brain Irradiation in Glioblastoma).
What the study involves
- The study will test one single dose of radiotherapy before surgery.
- It is a phase I trial, which means its main goals are to check:
- Is this approach safe?
- Is it practical to do?
- What dose can be given safely?
- How much of the tumour can be safely treated before the operation?
Patients will then go on to have their surgery and standard treatment as planned.
What researchers hope to learn
By giving radiotherapy before surgery, the study aims to:
- Reduce how often rapid early progression happens
- Improve future outcomes for people diagnosed with glioblastoma
If the results show that pre‑operative radiotherapy is safe, it may lead to larger trials to see how well it works.