Antineoplaston Therapy in Treating Patients With Ependymoma

Phase 2

Terminated

Brief Summary: RATIONALE: Current therapies for patients with ependymoma provide limited benefit to the patient. The anti-cancer properties of Antineoplaston therapy suggest that it may prove beneficial in the treatment of patients with ependymoma .

PURPOSE: This study is being performed to determine the effects (good and bad) that Antineoplaston therapy has on patients with ependymoma.

Detailed Description: OBJECTIVES:

* To determine the efficacy of Antineoplaston therapy in patients with ependymoma as measured by an objective response to therapy (complete response, partial response) or stable disease.

* To determine the safety and tolerance of Antineoplaston therapy in patients with ependymoma

OVERVIEW: This is a single arm, open-label study in which patients with ependymoma receive gradually escalating doses of intravenous Antineoplaston therapy (Atengenal + Astugenal) until the maximum tolerated dose is reached. Treatment continues for at least 12 months in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After 12 months, patients with a complete or partial response or with stable disease may continue treatment.

To determine objective response, tumor size is measured utilizing MRI scans, which are performed every 8 weeks for the first two years, every 3 months for the third and fourth years, every 6 months for the 5th and sixth years, and annually thereafter.

PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 20-40 patients will be accrued to this study

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Antineoplaston therapy	Antineoplaston therapy (Atengenal + Astugenal)	Antineoplaston therapy (Atengenal + Astugenal) by IV infusion every four hours for at least 12 months. Study subjects receive increasing dosages of Atengenal and Astugenal until the maximum tolerated dose is reached.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number of Participants With Objective Response	12 months	Objective response rate per Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) for target lesions and assessed by MRI: Complete Response (CR), disappearance of all disease sustained for at least four weeks; Partial Response (PR), \>=50% decrease in the sum of the products of of the greatest perpendicular diameters of all measurable enhancing lesions, sustained for at least four weeks; Stable Disease (SD), \<50% decrease and \<25% increase in the sum of the products of of the greatest perpendicular diameters of all measurable enhancing lesions, sustained for at least eight weeks; Progressive Disease (PD), \>=25% increase in the sum of the products of of the greatest perpendicular diameters of all measurable enhancing lesions.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Percentage of Participants Who Survived	6 months, 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, 48 months, 60 months	6 months, 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, 48 months, 60 months overall survival