cured after taking new drug.
Man with terminal cancer cured after taking new drug.
A man who was told he only has 12 months to live is now free of cancer
thanks to a new drug trial.
Robert Glynn, 51, a welder from Worsley in Greater Manchester, was diagnosed with
bile duct cancer after suffering severe pain in his shoulder which kept him up all night.
Mr Glynn said he “wouldn’t be here” if it were not for the results of the trial
run by the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester.
Despite a series of scans and tests at his GP, his cancer was only picked
up by chance when he got an infection in his gallbladder.
The day before his 49th birthday, in August 2020, Mr. Glynn was
told the devastating news that he had intrahepatic bile duct cancer
(cancer that forms in the bile ducts inside the liver).
Also known as biliary tract cancer, it is a rare form of the disease
with few treatment options.
Only around 1,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with it every year
and just 5 percent of people live for five years or more after diagnosis.
Mr Glynn was told his cancer was at an advanced stage and had spread to
his adrenal gland. He was referred to the Christie where experts offered him
the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial of immunotherapy.
Robert Glynn, 51, a welder from Worsley in Greater Manchester,
was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in August 2020.
Before starting the trial, Mr. Glynn’s tumour was analysed to check
for any genetic alterations.
The result showed the tumour had a high mutation burden
(large numbers of genetic mutations in the cells), suggesting
he may potentially have a good response to treatment.
Mr Glynn was started on an immunotherapy drug which is already approved
use in other cancers, including lung, kidney and esophageal cancer.
The treatment, which is given by a drip and helps a person’s own immune system
fight cancer, was combined with standard chemotherapy.
The drug cannot be named due to the experimental nature of this trial
for bile duct cancer.
Robert Glynn was told he had less than 12 months to live is now cancer-free
thanks to a clinical trial run in the UK
To his surprise, Mr Glynn saw his tumours shrink on the treatment.
The tumour in his liver went from 12cm to 2.6cm, while his adrenal gland
tumour shrank from 7cm to 4.1cm.
This meant Mr. Glynn was able to undergo surgery in April to remove his tumours.
Surgeons found only dead tissue which meant the treatment had killed off
all the cancer cells.
My Glynn was referred to the Christie where experts offered him the opportunity
to participate in a clinical trial of immunotherapy.
Mr. Glynn said: “I wouldn’t be here today without the trial.
“When I was given the option to take part in research, I jumped at the chance.
You do anything you can to extend your life.
“I feel very lucky as I had cancer for two years and had no idea.
So getting the all-clear was overwhelming.
“In an odd kind of way, having the diagnosis has turned my life around.
“With my partner, Simone, we get out in nature and walk loads.
When something like this happens, you realise life is for living.”
Since his operation, Mr. Glynn has not needed any more treatment and
his three-monthly scans show he is clear of cancer.
Further studies are now being carried out with more patients with the hope
of changing the treatment of biliary tract cancer.
In a bid to live a healthier life, Mr. Glynn also changed his diet completely,
losing several stones after tipping the scales at 16st.
“I cut out all processed foods, refined sugar, dairy and milk and now have a
smoothie every day and lots of organic fruit and vegetables and make everything
from scratch,” he said.
“I managed to lose 5st, which was a big step for me. I realised you can’t just rely
on the doctors to help you.
You need to help yourself too.
“It’s also important to remain positive and not give up. It’s never over until it’s over.”
The clinical trial was run by Professor Juan Valle, consultant oncologist at the Christie
and a world-leading expert in biliary tract cancer.
He said: “Robert has done very well on this combination due to his tumour having
a high mutation burden, or a high number of genetic mutations.
“Most patients with this diagnosis do not have as many mutations in their cancer cells so
the treatment won’t be as effective, but it does highlight the importance of personalised medicine.
“The results of this research and another larger study are keenly anticipated by colleagues
worldwide as it could lead to a change in how we treat patients like Robert in the future.”
Drug Approvals Pressure© Copyright 2020 The Associated Press.
All rights reserved.
Man with terminal cancer cured by new drug (msn.com)
A 49-year-old grandfather in Southern California said a new drug
cured him of his lymphoma after a long battle with the disease.
The newly-approved drug was recently cleared by
the US Food and Drug Administration, according to ABC 7.
Juan Yee, the man who claims he was cured, said before the drug he had been told his cancer — follicular lymphoma, the most common type of low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma — had returned for a third time. He was told he would have to go through chemotherapy again, but he refused and asked the doctor how long he had to live.
“’You can have about a year, we don’t know,’” he said he was told by his doctors.
“My wife didn’t even know I was going through cancer again. I didn’t tell anybody.”
Mr. Yee went to meet with Dr Elizabeth Budde, a hematologic oncologist, who said his cancer would not go into remission with chemotherapy and would return even if it was reduced.
At the time, Dr Budde was the principal investigator for a new treatment called T-cell engager. She said the new drug, Mosunetuzumab, brand name Lunsumio, effectively
puts “a pair of glasses” onto the body’s dysfunctional T-cells, which allow them to better identify the body’s lymphoma cells versus cancerous ones.
Mr. Yee said the side effects of the drug were minimal, especially compared to those of chemotherapy. He said he “didn’t feel anything” and that the swelling in his lymph nodes reduced quickly.
Mr. Yee was a member of the trial stage of the drug, which led to the FDA’s accelerated approval to get the drug on the market for cancer patients who have already undergone two rounds of therapy.
Dr Budde said the drug is currently being tested as a first-line treatment and that researchers “have a lot of reason to believe this is going to be a better treatment.”
Mr. Yee is thankful the drug came along when it did — not only did it likely
save his life, it also allowed him to see the birth of his first grandchild.
“I wouldn’t have a chance to see my grandson if I had given up,”
he told ABC 7. “Cancer is not the same anymore.
Don’t give up. There’s always something there to help you.”
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