NABTT OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of the "New Approaches to Brain Tumor Therapy (NABTT)" CNS Consortium is to improve the therapeutic outcome for adults with primary brain tumors.  This consortium is one of two nationwide that is funded by the National Cancer Institute to conduct Phase I and II clinical evaluations of promising new treatment strategies (surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and biologic therapies), routes of admistration, and clinical trial design in the treatment of primary malignancies of the central nervous system.  The NABTT CNS Consortium is specifically designed to combine and focus the experience, resources, and capabilities of nine outstanding medical institutions (Emory Univerisity, Henry Ford Hospital, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center, The Univerisity of Alabama at Birmingham, The University of Pennsylvania, The University of Texas at San Antonio, and Wake Forest University) to bear on primary brain tumors.  These institutions have (1) a large number of adult patients with primary brain tumors, (2) expert multidisciplinary clinical teams caring for these patients, (3) extensive clinical and laboratory resources, (4) a striking number of ongoing high quality, clinically relevant, peer-reviewed and NIH funded clinical and laboratory brain tumor research projects, (5) nationally recognized expertise in oncology, pharmacology, new drug development, Phase I and II clinical trials, neurosurgery, and neuropathology, (6) extensive expertise in biostatistics, data management, and the coordination of multi-institutional studies, and (7) exceptional reputations for excellence in clinical care and research.  The consortium adds to these strengths with a well-defined and smoothly functioning organizational structure, and emphasis on clinical trial design, protocol development, quality control, study monitoring, and data management and analysis.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES

The secondary objective of the NABTT CNS Consortium is to share human brain tumor specimens and clinical and laboratory data to conduct additional research pertaining to (1) the basic biology of primary brain tumors, (2) the neuro-pharmacology of new therapies for primary brain tumors, and (3) improving the care and quality of life of adults with primary brain tumors.  This objective will be reached using the strengths of the participating institutions and the NABTT Correlative Biology Research Center, The NABTT Pharmacology Center, and The NABTT Working and Scientific Committees.