Hope for brain cancer sufferers

[canetoad]

Unfortunately, not soon enough for Beau Biden, but still great news.

‘Incredibly excited’: Richard Scolyer hails new US trial for brain cancer

It is the news that former Australian of the Year Professor Richard Scolyer has been hoping to hear ever since he started an experimental treatment for brain cancer more than 2½ years ago: a world-first clinical trial to determine whether it can revolutionise the approach to glioblastoma has opened in the United States.

Australian medical oncologist Professor Mustafa Khasraw, from Duke University in North Carolina, is leading the trial to see whether immunotherapy drugs can help patients diagnosed with the same lethal brain tumour as the world-renowned pathologist and researcher.

“I’m incredibly excited that this trial has commenced,” Scolyer said. “It takes a long time to get trials over the line but to be actually recruiting patients in the United States – and hopefully here soon – means we can test out the drugs to see if they make a difference.”

Duke will join four other cancer centres in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston and New York in the two-stage trial.

https://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/incredibly-excited-richard-scolyer-hails-new-us-trial-for-brain-cancer-20260210-p5o12b.html

https://archive.md/Kou9i

[Nanjeanne]

1. I lost one of my dearest friends to a glioblastoma. It's a devastating disease. I hope this can help others.

[DET]

2. That's Wonderful

If I read correctly, it appears that the treatment is not a new drug, but adding existing immunotherapy drugs to standard radiation and chemo - and sequencing immunotherapy before other treatments. That protocol has keep Dr. Scolyer alive for 2 1/2 years from his neuroblastoma diagnosis.

One of my son’s childhood friends died of neuroblastoma at age 20. His mom documented the daily struggles in CaringBridge. It was horrific. She eventually wrote a book about it. Any relief for people with this terrible diagnosis would be a blessing.

[canetoad]

3. Yep, that's my reading too

Forty years ago I knew a brilliant kid; qualified as an astro-physicist, had started his dream job as an astronomer - dead from brain cancer at 25. Such a waste.

[phylny]

4. A friend of my husband has gliobastoma.

I hope there is hope for him. He was recently given 18 months.