A local study has discovered a drug combination that could improve the life expectancy of children with brain cancer.
Researchers from the University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute have been looking at Diffuse Midline Gliomas, which is one of the most lethal of childhood cancers, as they are fast growing and affect the part of the brain which is responsible for heartbeat, breathing and swallowing.
Currently there is only one established treatment, which can see a child’s life extended for nine to eleven months, but the latest breakthrough could see that pushed to 20 months.
It is being achieved through a combination of an under trial oral therapy and a second drug Paxalisib, which is already used to treat cancer, along with radiotherapy.
While the breakthrough is still in the early stages, researchers say there are signs of promise.
Image: Professor Matt Dun who is leading the research