Hydroxychloroquine Trial (HCQ)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A randomised phase 2 trial investigating the additional benefit of hydroxychloroquine(HCQ) to short course radiotherapy (SCRT) in patients aged 70 years and older with high grade gliomas (HGG)
IRAS ID
98688
Contact name
Susan Short
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Eudract number
2012-000091-41
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Research summary
Primary brain tumours (gliomas) remain amongst the most difficult tumours to treat and high grade gliomas usually become life threatening within a year. Gliomas are more common in elderly people and because life expectancy is increasing, gliomas in people over the age of 70 are an increasingly common problem. It is not known whether the standard treatments that are used in younger patients are equally beneficial in these older patients. In particular there is a concern about using standard chemotherapy drugs including temozolomide in older people as they may tolerate these drugs less well. Investigating new ways of treating elderly patients with these difficult tumours is therefore important. In this study we propose to test the effect of a adding a new treatment to standard radiotherapy in patients over the age of 70 with a high grade glioma (gliobastoma, grade IV). Previous studies have suggested that anti-malarial drugs chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) may have the ability to make tumours more sensitive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and for this reason these drugs are currently being used in clinical trials to treat a variety of cancers. In this study we are testing the effect of adding HCQ to a short course of radiotherapy for patients over 70 years old with glioblastoma. We hope that this will be an effective treatment that does not have the side effects and risks of chemotherapy.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
12/LO/1133
Date of REC Opinion
22 Oct 2012
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion