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Condition (MeSH)

Central Nervous System Neoplasms

ClinicalTrials.gov lists 3,410 trials for Central Nervous System Neoplasms or a narrower condition beneath it. National Cancer Institute (NCI) has the most among industry and government lead sponsors, with 193.

MeSH D016543 Neoplasms Neoplasm C04 C10
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Phase 1 Phase 1 702 Phase 1/2 Phase 1/2 253 Phase 2 Phase 2 831 Phase 2/3 Phase 2/3 21 Phase 3 Phase 3 182 Phase 4 Phase 4 63 Not applicable Not applicable 692 Observational Observational 655 Phase 1 Phase 1 702 Phase 1/2 Phase 1/2 253 Phase 2 Phase 2 831 Phase 2/3 Phase 2/3 21 Phase 3 Phase 3 182 Phase 4 Phase 4 63 Not applicable Not applicable 692 Observational Observational 655

Trials per phase (log scale)

2 more sections with rows

696 of the 3,410 trials are tagged with Central Nervous System Neoplasms itself; the rest are tagged with a narrower condition beneath it.

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The PDF carries up to 50 rows of each section, where the page shows the first few, with the sources listed. Enter a work email and confirm it from the message we send, and the report follows by email.

When did Central Nervous System Neoplasms trials start? (37)

Shown in this order: most recent first, 1990 onwards. 2026 is partial: trials registered with a 2026 start date so far, not a full year. 9 trials are registered to start in 2027 or later, and not listed here.

Trials over time, by phase

  • Phase 1
  • Phase 1/2
  • Phase 2
  • Phase 2/3
  • Phase 3
  • Phase 4
  • Not applicable
  • Observational
  • Other (Unknown)

Top of scale: 172

1990: 1 trials (Phase 1 1) 1991: 4 trials (Observational 1, Phase 2 2, Phase 1 1) 1992: 6 trials (Observational 1, Phase 3 2, Phase 2 1, Phase 1 2) 1993: 4 trials (Phase 2 1, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 2) 1994: 14 trials (Observational 4, Phase 3 3, Phase 2 4, Phase 1 3) 1995: 11 trials (Observational 3, Phase 4 1, Phase 2 3, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 3) 1996: 21 trials (Observational 3, Not applicable 1, Phase 3 5, Phase 2 6, Phase 1 6) 1997: 37 trials (Observational 5, Not applicable 2, Phase 3 3, Phase 2 16, Phase 1/2 1, Phase 1 10) 1998: 44 trials (Observational 3, Not applicable 1, Phase 3 4, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 20, Phase 1/2 4, Phase 1 11) 1999: 48 trials (Observational 4, Phase 3 5, Phase 2 25, Phase 1/2 2, Phase 1 12) 2000: 55 trials (Observational 4, Not applicable 2, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 3, Phase 2 22, Phase 1/2 12, Phase 1 11) 2001: 53 trials (Observational 5, Not applicable 3, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 5, Phase 2 17, Phase 1/2 7, Phase 1 15) 2002: 63 trials (Observational 5, Not applicable 4, Phase 3 5, Phase 2 21, Phase 1/2 8, Phase 1 20) 2003: 58 trials (Observational 13, Not applicable 6, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 6, Phase 2 18, Phase 1/2 5, Phase 1 9) 2004: 77 trials (Observational 14, Not applicable 6, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 11, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 19, Phase 1/2 7, Phase 1 18) 2005: 95 trials (Observational 13, Not applicable 9, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 6, Phase 2 30, Phase 1/2 8, Phase 1 28) 2006: 91 trials (Observational 12, Not applicable 7, Phase 4 3, Phase 3 9, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 29, Phase 1/2 7, Phase 1 23) 2007: 99 trials (Observational 13, Not applicable 7, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 7, Phase 2 41, Phase 1/2 4, Phase 1 26) 2008: 97 trials (Observational 21, Not applicable 11, Phase 3 6, Phase 2 32, Phase 1/2 3, Phase 1 24) 2009: 107 trials (Other 1, Observational 14, Not applicable 10, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 6, Phase 2 37, Phase 1/2 10, Phase 1 28) 2010: 108 trials (Observational 19, Not applicable 13, Phase 3 5, Phase 2 22, Phase 1/2 16, Phase 1 33) 2011: 97 trials (Observational 15, Not applicable 12, Phase 3 6, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 33, Phase 1/2 7, Phase 1 23) 2012: 108 trials (Observational 17, Not applicable 29, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 6, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 20, Phase 1/2 7, Phase 1 25) 2013: 100 trials (Observational 20, Not applicable 23, Phase 4 5, Phase 3 2, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 21, Phase 1/2 11, Phase 1 17) 2014: 116 trials (Observational 28, Not applicable 28, Phase 4 3, Phase 3 2, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 22, Phase 1/2 11, Phase 1 20) 2015: 122 trials (Observational 23, Not applicable 29, Phase 4 11, Phase 3 6, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 24, Phase 1/2 6, Phase 1 22) 2016: 145 trials (Observational 22, Not applicable 36, Phase 4 5, Phase 3 8, Phase 2/3 2, Phase 2 31, Phase 1/2 12, Phase 1 29) 2017: 160 trials (Other 1, Observational 34, Not applicable 42, Phase 4 1, Phase 3 4, Phase 2 40, Phase 1/2 10, Phase 1 28) 2018: 137 trials (Observational 30, Not applicable 35, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 9, Phase 2/3 4, Phase 2 16, Phase 1/2 9, Phase 1 32) 2019: 151 trials (Observational 40, Not applicable 36, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 3, Phase 2 39, Phase 1/2 4, Phase 1 27) 2020: 165 trials (Observational 42, Not applicable 46, Phase 4 5, Phase 3 4, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 33, Phase 1/2 10, Phase 1 24) 2021: 158 trials (Observational 28, Not applicable 49, Phase 4 3, Phase 3 9, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 29, Phase 1/2 10, Phase 1 29) 2022: 168 trials (Observational 48, Not applicable 48, Phase 4 2, Phase 3 6, Phase 2 27, Phase 1/2 11, Phase 1 26) 2023: 158 trials (Observational 46, Not applicable 50, Phase 4 3, Phase 3 4, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 20, Phase 1/2 11, Phase 1 23) 2024: 148 trials (Observational 35, Not applicable 40, Phase 4 5, Phase 3 7, Phase 2 29, Phase 1/2 10, Phase 1 22) 2025: 172 trials (Observational 31, Not applicable 50, Phase 4 3, Phase 3 9, Phase 2/3 1, Phase 2 34, Phase 1/2 15, Phase 1 29)

Trials registered with a start date in each year, 1990 onward, stacked by phase (complete years only; the current partial year is in the table's notes). The table below lists the same counts, most recent years first.

Trials started per year
Year Trials started
2026 (partial year) 173
2025 172
2024 148
2023 158
2022 168
2021 158
2020 165
2019 151
2018 137
2017 160

Showing 10 of 37 earlier years.

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Forecast of the full-year count, planned starts included, not rows of this table: about 190 trials starting in 2026 and about 180 in 2027, the average of the 24 months through September, counted as registered and carried forward. The rows of this table count trials registered so far with a start date in the year, planned starts included; the forecast looks ahead to the count for the whole year, so it is not the same measure. In backtests on conditions of this size, forecasts made part-way through the year were typically off by about 13 percent and ran about 12 percent low against the count later registered; forecasts made before the year began were off by about 19 percent and ran about 17 percent low against the count later registered, and had about the same error as repeating last year's count. These figures rest on a few years of history (target years from 2018 to 2025, varying by figure), place each condition as it is mapped today rather than as it was then, and score against a count for the newest year that was still being revised. Only condition series were scored.

Prediction, not a registry value: median of 36 months from start to primary completion across 395 trials still running at the 2026-10-09 snapshot; registered median of 42 months across 1,932 trials with a primary completion typed Actual. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov / AACT (CTTI), public domain.

What phase are Central Nervous System Neoplasms trials in? (10)

Shown in this order: phase order.

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Trials by phase
Phase Trials
Phase 1 702
Phase 1/2 253
Phase 2 831
Phase 2/3 21
Phase 3 182
Phase 4 63
Not applicable 692
Observational 655
Expanded access 9
Unknown 2

How many Central Nervous System Neoplasms trials are recruiting? (11)

Shown in this order: the order a trial moves through, from not yet recruiting to unknown.

Trials by recruitment status
Status Trials
Not yet recruiting 124
Recruiting 545
Enrolling by invitation 16
Active, not recruiting 233
Available 4

Showing 5 of 11 statuses.

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Status as registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Each trial is counted once.

Which lead sponsors run the most Central Nervous System Neoplasms trials? (3)

Shown in this order: most trials first. Lead sponsors the registry classes as industry, NIH, US federal, other government or network. A hospital or university the registry files as government can appear here. Sponsors it classes as academic or other are shown on the full page, because that class cannot separate an institution from a named investigator.

Lead sponsors
Sponsor Trials
National Cancer Institute (NCI) 193
Children's Oncology Group 49
European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer - EORTC 30

Which drugs are being tested for Central Nervous System Neoplasms? (4)

Shown in this order: most trials first. One row per drug, matched to a single molecule under all its names, ranked by number of trials.

Drugs tested
Drug Trials
Cytoxan 61
Irinotecan 46
NIVOLUMAB 40
PEMBROLIZUMAB 35

Interventions as named in the registry (11)

Shown in this order: most trials first.

Interventions as named in the registry
Drug Trials
SOC: Temozolomide 221
Radiation Therapy 169
Bevacizumab 1 92
or carboplatin 77
Etoposid 58

Showing 5 of 11 interventions.

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These are the names sponsors entered on ClinicalTrials.gov that we have not matched to a single molecule. Some are drugs under a brand or code name; others are procedures, doses or arm labels.

Which serious adverse events do Central Nervous System Neoplasms trials report? (10)

Shown in this order: most subjects affected first. Subjects affected summed across trials, a cross-trial signal, not a rate.

Serious adverse events in this condition's trials
Adverse event Subjects affected Trials
Seizure 835 169
Platelet count decreased 414 69
Vomiting 413 143
Nausea 368 131
Headache 365 136

Showing 5 of 10 adverse events.

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Which publications cover Central Nervous System Neoplasms? (359)

Shown in this order: major-topic papers first, then newest, then most linked to trials.

Publications
Publication Journal Year Major topic
A first-line regimen combining Bruton's tyrosine kinase and programmed cell death protein-1 inhibitors with chemotherapy excluding methotrexate achieves high response rates in primary central nervous system lymphoma. Cancer 2026 Yes
Efficacy and safety of entrectinib in children with extracranial solid or central nervous system (CNS) tumours harbouring NTRK or ROS1 fusions. European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990) 2025 Yes
Pediatric Central Nervous System Cancers, Version 2.2025, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines In Oncology. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN 2025 Yes
First-line zorifertinib for EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer with central nervous system metastases: The phase 3 EVEREST trial. Med (New York, N.Y.) 2025 Yes
Phase 2 trial of ibrutinib and nivolumab in patients with relapsed CNS lymphomas. Blood advances 2025 Yes

Showing 5 of 359 publications.

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Sub-conditions in MeSH (4)

MeSH descendants one level down with at least one trial, most trials first.

Not on this page

Not measured: delivery record.

Checked, with nothing recorded for this condition: prevalence and rare-disease identity.

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