Sarah Leary, MD, MS
University of Washington, Seattle Children’s Hospital

Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer death in children. Children who are able to have their tumor completely removed at the time of surgery are far less likely to have tumor grow back or relapse. However, complete removal of tumor cannot always be done safely because it is often very difficult to distinguish normal brain tissue from tumor tissue with the naked eye.

BLZ-100 is a drug which is given the day before surgery. It attaches to tumor tissue and glows under fluorescent light. The surgeon is then able to see the tumor and more completely remove it. Laboratory studies and the first trial in adult patients revealed few side effects from this drug.

This study is a trial of BLZ-100 in children undergoing brain surgery for tumor removal. It will determine whether BLZ-100 is safe for use in children and if it attaches to the children’s brain tumor tissue. If effective, this “molecular flashlight” has potential to revolutionize the way surgery for tumors is done. [Awarded 2014]

 

Clinical Summary
Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer death in children. Children who are able to have their tumor completely removed at the time of surgery are far less likely to have tumor grow back or relapse. However, complete removal of tumor cannot always be done safely because it is often very difficult to distinguish normal brain from tumor with the naked eye. BLZ-100 is a drug which is given the day before surgery, attaches to tumor tissue and glows under fluorescent light. Laboratory studies and the first trial in adult patients have shown few if any side effects from this drug. This study is a trial of BLZ-100 in children undergoing brain surgery for tumor removal. This study will find out whether BLZ-100 is safe for use in children, and whether it attaches to the children’s brain tumor tissue. If effective, this “molecular flash- light” has potential to revolutionize the way surgery for tumors is done.