April 2026

NEUROSCIENCES

20 YEARS OF THE STUPP PROTOCOL

A Global Leader in Neuro-oncology at Northwestern Medicine
For more than two decades, Roger Stupp, MD, has helped define the standard of care for patients with glioblastoma. A renowned neuro-oncologist, Dr. Stupp continues to shape how the field approaches one of the most aggressive and complex primary brain tumors.

Dr. Stupp is best known for leading the landmark clinical trial that established combined radiotherapy with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide, widely known as the Stupp protocol, as the standard of care for newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Published in 2005, this regimen was the first multimodal therapy to demonstrate a survival advantage. It remains the global benchmark more than 20 years later.

Confronting the Plateau in Glioblastoma Outcomes
In a recent The Lancet Oncology commentary marking 20 years of the Stupp protocol, Dr. Stupp and colleagues reflect on both the treatment paradigm’s durability and the sobering lack of survival gains since its introduction. Despite major advances, most phase 3 trials in glioblastoma have failed to meaningfully extend survival, underscoring the urgent need for a new approach that integrates medical and surgical perspectives.

Dr. Stupp advocates for a decisive shift toward biologically driven, precision-based strategies that account for intratumoral heterogeneity, immune suppression and the unique constraints of the central nervous system. This includes integrating robust biomarkers, advanced imaging and adaptive trial designs to better align systemic therapy, radiation and surgical decision-making with tumor biology.

Driving the Next Era of Brain Tumor Research
At Northwestern Medicine Lou & Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute, Dr. Stupp is helping lead a forward-looking research agenda that brings together multidisciplinary care teams with a shared focus on improving outcomes for patients with glioblastoma. Key priorities include:
  • Biology-informed patient selection, including molecular and immune correlates relevant to both surgical and nonsurgical strategies
  • Innovative clinical trial design that prioritizes overall survival and meaningful biological endpoints
  • Therapies engineered to cross the blood–brain barrier, including novel drug delivery and treatment sequencing approaches
  • Collaborative, data-driven discovery, with real-time data sharing and correlative science embedded into trials

​Why This Matters
Dr. Stupp’s work represents both the foundation of modern therapy and a roadmap for what comes next. His leadership at Northwestern Medicine bridges medical, surgical and translational expertise, supporting evidence-based care today while actively reshaping the future of neuro-oncology.
Roger Stupp, MD, Chief of Neuro-oncology, the Paul C. Bucy Professor of Neurological Surgery and Professor of Neurological Surgery, 
Hematology and Oncology and Neuro-oncology at Northwestern Medicine

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