Trametinib-based Treatment of Pediatric CNS Tumors: A Single Institutional Experience

J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2020 Nov;42(8):e730-e737. doi: 10.1097/MPH.0000000000001819.

Abstract

MEK inhibitors are an emerging therapy with increasing use in mitogen-activated protein kinase-driven central nervous system (CNS) tumors. There is limited data regarding efficacy and toxicity in pediatric patients. We report our clinical experience with trametinib-based therapy for the treatment of 14 consecutive pediatric patients with recurrent low-grade glioma (N=11) or high-grade CNS tumors (N=3) with MAP kinase pathway mutations. Patients received trametinib as monotherapy (N=9) or in combination (N=5) with another antineoplastic agent. Nine patients (64%) were progression free during treatment. Five patients showed a partial response, while 4 had stable disease. Two patients (14%) progressed on therapy. All partial responses were in patients with low-grade tumors. The remaining 3 patients were not evaluable due to toxicity limiting duration of therapy. Two of 3 patients with low-grade glioma with leptomeningeal dissemination showed radiographic treatment response. Five patients reported improved clinical symptoms while on trametinib. Adverse events on trametinib-based therapy included dermatologic, mouth sores, fever, gastrointestinal, infection, neutropenia, headache, and fatigue, and were more common in patients using combination therapy. Trametinib-based therapy demonstrated signals of efficacy in our single institutional cohort of pediatric patients with mitogen-activated protein kinase-driven CNS tumors. Our observations need to be confirmed in a clinical trial setting.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Central Nervous System Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Central Nervous System Neoplasms / pathology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Prognosis
  • Pyridones / therapeutic use*
  • Pyrimidinones / therapeutic use*
  • Retrospective Studies

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Pyridones
  • Pyrimidinones
  • trametinib