Amar Gajjar, MD, Pediatric Medicine Department chair at St. Jude, contributed to a clinical trial that studied medulloblastoma.

Results published on medulloblastoma clinical trial

Memphis, Tennessee, January 8, 2021

SJMB03 was an international, phase 3 clinical trial for children with a brain tumor called medulloblastoma. It is one of the most common malignant childhood brain tumors. The study enrolled patients from 2003 to 2012.

“This was a large clinical trial that really incorporated biology into the analysis,” said Amar Gajjar, MD, Pediatric Medicine Department chair at St. Jude. “It allowed us to interpret the outcomes based on clinical and molecular risk features.”

Previous research classified this tumor into four molecular groups: WNT, SHH, Group 3 and Group 4. The trial findings confirm the outcomes previously linked to these molecular groups. The study also offered new insights into subgroups within those groups.

The researchers found that all WNT, and some SHH and Group 3/4 are low risk. These groups could possibly be cured with less-intensive therapy. Scientists also found that some SHH and Group 3/4 are high-risk. Those high-risk groups need new treatments to improve cure rates.

This new understanding can help doctors design the next generation of treatment.

The Journal of Clinical Oncology published this work.