NCT04730869Completed
Metabolic Therapy Program In Conjunction With Standard Treatment For Glioblastoma
Feasibility, Safety, and Efficacy of a Metabolic Therapy Program in Conjunction With Standard Treatment for Glioblastoma
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 6 Aug 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
Glioblastoma (GBM), a very aggressive brain tumour, is one of the most malignant of all cancers and is associated with a poor prognosis. The majority of GBM cells display damaged mitochondria (the "batteries" of cells), so they rely on an alternate method for producing energy called the Warburg Effect, which relies nearly exclusively on glucose (in contrast, normal cells can use other molecules, such as fatty acids and fat-derived ketones, for energy). Metabolic interventions, such as fasting and ketogenic diets, target cancer cell metabolism by enhancing mitochondria function, decreasing blood glucose levels, and increasing blood ketone levels, creating an advantage for normal cells but a disadvantage for cancer cells. Preliminary experience at Waikato Hospital has shown that a metabolic therapy program (MTP) utilizing fasting and ketogenic diets is feasible and safe in people with advanced cancer, and may provide a therapeutic benefit. We aim to determine whether using an MTP concurrently with standard oncological treatment (chemoradiation followed by adjuvant chemotherapy) is feasible and safe in patients with GBM, and has treatment outcomes consistent with greater overall treatment efficacy than in published trials.
- Status (registry)
- Completed
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 18 (actual)
- First submitted
- 22 Dec 2020
- Start date
- 26 May 2021
- Primary completion date
- 18 Feb 2025
- Lead sponsor
- Waikato Hospital
- Diseases
- Glioblastoma
- NCT number
- NCT04730869
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Participants enrolled: 18
- From 26 May 2021 to the primary completion date, 18 Feb 2025
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Other illness
- Type 1 diabetes.
- A medical or psychiatric disorder that, in the opinion of the investigators, would make it unlikely that the patient could adhere to the MTP.
Other
- Ineligible for standard treatment for GBM due to poor performance status, co-morbidities, or inability to give informed consent.
Who the study is looking for
- Age 18 years or greater.
- Newly-diagnosed histologically-confirmed GBM.
- ECOG Performance Status 0-2.
- Planned for 6 weeks of standard chemoradiation for GBM.
- If receiving dexamethasone, the dose must be ≤ 4 mg daily (and not increasing) upon commencement of the MTP.
Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waikato Hospital Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Hamilton | New Zealand | Unknown status |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.