INNV-22. FACTORS GUIDING THE INITIATION OF TUMOR TREATING FIELDS (TTFIELDS; 200 KHZ) THERAPY FOR GLIOBLASTOMA: SELF-REPORTED PATIENT AND ONCOLOGIST PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Abstract BACKGROUND The standard-of-care for newly-diagnosed glioblastoma (ndGBM) has been the standard Stupp protocol. In ndGBM, approved TTFields (200 KHz) concomitant with maintenance temozolomide significantly improved progression-free survival and overall survival. TTFields-therapy selectively disrupts cancer cell division, requiring array-application to the shaved-scalp to non-invasively deliver TTFields to tumor location and confer clinical benefit. This survey-study assessed factors impacting decision of oncologist/patient/caregiver to initiate TTFields-therapy. METHODS A clinical-market research group administered double-blinded, online-questionnaires (30-min) to oncologists/ndGBM-patients/caregivers. Survey questions, an amalgamate of closed-/open-ended questions, were designed to track awareness, perceptions, and acceptance of ndGBM treatments in a representative United States (US) oncologist and adult patient/caregiver population (semi-annually; 2018-2020). The present survey-analysis focuses on results related to initiation of TTFields-therapy for ndGBM. RESULTS Four separate patient/caregiver surveys (Q1/2018-Q3/2020; (n=50-51/wave) and 4 separate oncologist surveys (Q2/2019-Q4/2020; n=130/wave) were conducted. Results suggest majority of patients with ndGBM research treatment options, including TTFields-therapy, immediately after surgery and before radiation/initial temozolomide; and initiate TTFields-therapy after radiation/initial temozolomide (ie, before maintenance temozolomide). Patients-reported initially learning about TTFields post-surgery via oncologists, nurses, support groups, social-media, and TTFields web-based resources. Among 97% of current/previous TTFields-users, the key patient-driver for selecting TTFields, mirroring oncologist-driver to recommend, was efficacy/survival benefit. Other highly-rated selection-drivers were anti-mitotic mechanism (93%), improved long-term 5-year survival (87%), sustained quality-of-life (87%), and no travel requirement to start (87%). In latest study wave, reported patient usage-barrier was the inability to subsequently enroll in clinical trials (64%), while the top-reported oncologist prescribing-barrier was concern with patient treatment usage (60%). Also, survey suggests oncologists discuss TTFields with most patients with ndGBM, citing efficacy and National Comprehensive Cancer Network® inclusion as key treatment-initiation drivers. CONCLUSIONS Overall, survey data suggests awareness (100%, aided; 61%-68%, unaided) by US oncologists/patients/caregivers of TTFields (200 kHz) as a viable treatment option for adults with ndGBM.