Metformin, Neo-adjuvant Temozolomide and Hypo- Accelerated Radiotherapy Followed by Adjuvant TMZ in Patients With GBM

Glioblastoma Multiforme is one of the most common, and unfortunately one of the most aggressive brain tumors in adults with most of the patients recurring and dying of the disease with a median survival of 16 months from diagnosis. Current treatment for patients with newly diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is safe maximal surgical resection followed by concomitant conventional Radiotherapy (RT) delivered in 6 weeks + Temozolomide (TMZ) followed by TMZ for 6 to 12 cycles. Recent scientific research has shown that Metformin, a common drug used to treat diabetes mellitus, may improve the results of the treatment in patients with a variety of cancers, such as breast, colon, and prostate cancer. Metformin is an attractive and safe medication to be used in this group of patients because of its very low toxicity. In our center the investigators have been using TMZ for 2 weeks prior to a short course (4 weeks) of RT which equivalent to the standard RT of 6 weeks. Temozolomide is used 2 weeks before RT + TMZ, and this is followed by the 6 to 12 cycles of TMZ. Our results are quiet encouraging with a median survival of 20 months, and acceptable toxicity.