Administering the G-200 Vaccine

Andrew T. Parsa MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Residence of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, describes the administration of the prophage G-200 for recurrent glioblastoma multiforme.

A patient does not have to go through leukapheresis, nor receive additional cytokines such as GM-CSF, a common approach for many types of vaccines for brain tumor patients. As a part of standard of care, a patient undergoes surgical resection. That resected tissue is used to make the vaccine. In a majority of cases, patients who have a recurrent glioblastoma can have the vaccine made from surgical resection without an issue.

Clinical Pearls

A physician will administer as many doses as a patient can tolerate with regard to the amount of vaccine, up to six, Parsa says.

• The patient does not have to go through leukapheresis, nor receive additional cytokines
• Resected tissue is used to make the vaccine
• The patient will receive as many doses as he/she is able to tolerate