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High compliance with Optune linked to greatest survival benefit for glioblastoma
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Patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma who used the Optune device more than 90% of the time had the greatest chance for survival, according to a company-issued press release.
Optune (Novocure) is a portable device that delivers tumor-treating-fields — or low-intensity, alternating electrical fields — through electrodes placed on the surface of the patient’s scalp. Rapidly dividing tumor cells may be susceptible to damage when exposed to tumor-treating fields, thus halting tumor growth.
The device is approved for use in combination with temozolomide for newly diagnosed glioblastoma based on data from the phase 3 pivotal EF-14 trial, which showed significantly improved survival with the combination compared with temozolomide alone.
A retrospective post-hoc analysis from the trial — presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuro-Oncology — showed increased compliance predicted a greater survival benefit.
Researchers recommended patients wear the device 75% of the time, or 18 hours each day.
Patients who used Optune more than 90% of the time (n = 43) showed the highest survival, with a median OS of 24.9 months and a 5-year OS rate of 29.3% (PFS, HR = 0.54; 95% CI, 0.37-0.79; OS, HR = 0.52; 95% CI, 0.35-0.79).
However, even patients who wore the device as low as 50% of the time (n = 62) achieved benefit in terms of PFS (HR = 0.7; 95% CI, 0.47-1.05) and OS (HR = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.45-0.99) compared with temozolomide alone.
The survival benefit increased as compliance increased (P = .031). Patients who used the device 70% to 80% of the time (n = 91) had a median survival of 21.7 months.
“Increased compliance with Optune led to increased survival in glioblastoma,” Zvi Ram, MD, director of neurosurgery at Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Tel-Aviv, who presented the data at the meeting, said in the release. “These data show that nearly one in three patients in the EF-14 trial who were more than 90% compliant with Optune reached 5-year survival. Compliance with Optune matters and changed the course of the disease for many patients with glioblastoma. I feel honored to share these insightful data.”
Results showed increased compliance independently predicted survival, regardless of other prognostic factors such as performance status, age or MGMT methylation.
“We are pleased with this latest analysis showing that patients with glioblastoma who were the most compliant with Optune had the greatest chance of 5-year survival,” Asaf Danziger, Novocure CEO, said in the release. “We are committed to further exploring our EF-14 data with the hopes of improving treatment outcomes in glioblastoma.”