2015 Update: Brain Cancer Cured

[RodISHI]

 

[waltky]

New blood test to monitor treatment...

Blood test developed by UK scientists for better cancer treatment
Thursday 15th October - Very soon a blood test could help cancer patient not just identify the most suitable therapy for their disease but also help track the tumour's progress to see if the treatment is working, according to research report published in the 'Clinical Cancer Research' journal.

It is the first time a blood test has been used during clinical trials of targeted drugs, proving that the technique can monitor cancer simply and quickly, states the report based on work done by scientists and clinicians from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. Largely funded by Cancer Research UK, the study looked at almost 160 blood samples from 39 cancer patients with different types of late-stage cancer.

The Institute of Cancer Research in a press statement said that "using the blood test throughout a patient's treatment gives a 'running commentary' of what is happening to tumours giving scientists the lowdown on how well the treatment is working, how the cancer is changing and whether it is becoming resistant to treatment. "The test filters out tumour DNA from a patient's blood to be analysed for genetic faults. Based on the results, researchers can match the faults to targeted cancer treatments which then home in on cancer cells carrying these mistakes". Under the present line of treatment, tumour samples, known as biopsies, are usually only taken at the beginning of treatment, which essentially means that doctors may be using out-of-date information about how the genetic makeup of a patient's disease is changing in response to treatment.

But the new approach could provide real-time updates, as well as helping doctors identify patients who are suitable for clinical trials of new drugs. "Tumours and the gene faults that drive them are unique and constantly evolving. It's crucial that we understand these changes so doctors can choose the best treatments for each patient," said Professor Johann de Bono, the study leader and Professor in Experimental Cancer Medicine at the ICR and Honorary Consultant at The Royal Marsden. "We need to do more research, but this approach could have a huge impact on how we make treatment decisions, also potentially making diagnosis and treatment quicker, cheaper and less invasive." The blood test developed by the UK scientists has been tested in clinical trials of targeted drugs, proving that the technique can monitor cancer simply and quickly. Dr Kat Arney, Cancer Research UK's science information manager, said: "Blood tests like these are the future of cancer treatment and this study proves that they can work in practice helping us to diagnose, analyse and monitor tumours more easily.

Blood test developed by UK scientists for better cancer treatment

 

[waltky]

Optune w/ Avastin improves survival rate in brain cancer patients...

NovoCure's cancer therapy effective in late-stage study
20 Nov.`15 - NovoCure Ltd said its lead cancer therapy improved survival rate in brain cancer patients in combination with Avastin in a late-stage study, sending its shares up 23 percent in extended trading.

NovoCure's therapy, Optune, which was evaluated in combination with Roche Holding AG's cancer drug, reduced the risk of death by 39 percent in patients, compared with patients treated with Avastin alone, Novocure said in a statement on Friday.

Optune is an FDA-approved device for use in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive form of brain tumor in which 90 percent of adult patients die within 24 months after the diagnosis. The portable, non-invasive device uses low-intensity electric fields to slow and even reverse tumor growth and destroy the cancer cells.

Optune in combination with Merck & Co Inc's chemotherapy drug, temozolomide, was approved by the FDA in October to treat adult patients. (http://bit.ly/1FS2rgj) Novocure, which went public in October, said it plans to present the data from the study at the 20th Annual Society for Neuro-Oncology Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. The company's shares closed down 1.6 percent at $22.04 on the Nasdaq on Friday.

NovoCure's cancer therapy effective in late-stage study

 

[waltky]

Laser Brain Cancer Treatment breaks down the blood-brain barrier...

Laser Brain Cancer Treatment May Offer Extra Advantage
May 04, 2016 — Neurosurgeons using lasers to treat brain cancer have discovered that the technique breaks down the blood-brain barrier, a finding that could lead to new treatment options for patients with the deadly disease.

The blood-brain barrier is sort of a natural "security system" that shields the brain from toxins in the blood but also blocks potentially helpful drugs such as those used in chemotherapy. "We were able to show that this blood-brain barrier is broken down for about four weeks after you do this laser therapy," said Dr. Eric Leuthardt, a professor of neurosurgery at Washington University in St. Louis. "So not only are you killing the tumor, you are actually opening up a window of opportunity to deliver various drugs and chemicals and therapies that could otherwise not get there."

The study using lasers to treat people with brain cancer is now in a so-called Phase II clinical trial, in which a treatment is given to a larger group of people than the initial phase to see whether it is effective and to further evaluate its safety. The laser technology, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2009 as a surgical tool to treat brain tumors, involves a small, laser-tipped probe that heats up and kills tumors from the inside out.

This undated image made available by the National Institutes of Health and National Center for Microscopy shows cancer cells.​

As part of the trial, patients after the laser therapy are given the powerful chemotherapy drug doxorubicin, known as one of the least likely to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. "Kind of makes you smile when they say you are a good candidate for something new," said Kathy Smith, a participant in the clinical trial who has been battling cancer since 2009. Initially diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Smith is now being treated for recurrent glioblastoma, one of the most difficult forms of brain cancer to treat. Most patients diagnosed with these types of brain tumors survive just 15 months, according to the American Cancer Society.

The trial is still ongoing but Leuthardt called the initial results promising. "What's interesting is that the blood-brain barrier is a two-way street," Leuthardt said. "By breaking it down, you can get things into the brain, but also by breaking it down, now things can go from your brain out into your circulation, to your peripheral system, which includes your immune system." Leuthardt said he is using drugs to "amplify the immune system to fight the cancer" in combination with laser therapy. The researchers hope to publish their findings later this year.

Laser Brain Cancer Treatment May Offer Extra Advantage

 

[waltky]

Mebbe a way to get past the blood-brain barrier...

Doctors Unveil Potential New Tool to Fight Brain Cancer
May 09, 2016 - Neurosurgeons may have found a way to get past the blood-brain barrier to better delivery chemotherapy to patients

The blood-brain barrier is a natural defense system that prevents harmful substances in the blood from entering the brain. Doctors may have found a way to get past the barrier to treat cancer patients. Neurosurgeons have been using lasers to treat brain cancer since 2009, but now they say the technique may also allow them to deliver chemotherapy drugs directly into the brain. The key is getting past the protective blood-brain barrier, which does its job so well it also keeps out potentially lifesaving chemotherapy drugs. Kathy Smith has ovarian cancer that spread to her brain, a type of brain cancer called glioblastoma. “There were I believe three tumors at that time and I was not at all happy about those critters,” she said. Smith was treated with laser therapy. Doctors insert a tiny probe into the brain, directly to the cancer where it burns up the tumor from the inside out.

According to Washington University Neurosurgery Professor Eric Leuthardt, during the procedure it was discovered the therapy had an unintended effect on the blood-brain barrier. “We were able to show that this blood-brain barrier is broken down for about four weeks after you do this laser therapy," he said. "So not only are you killing the tumor, you are actually opening up a window of opportunity to deliver various drugs and chemicals and therapies that could otherwise not get in there.”

In Kathy's case, a powerful, experimental chemotherapy drug called doxorubicin, which has been notoriously hard to get past the barrier was delivered directly into her brain. “What is interesting is the blood-brain barrier is a two-way street," said Eric Leuthardt. "By breaking it down you can get things into the brain, but also by breaking it down, now things can go from your brain out into your circulation, to your peripheral system, which includes your immune system.” And the immune system helps fight cancer.

The procedure is dangerous, a compromised blood-brain barrier puts the brain at risk, but so far it has worked well for Smith. Patients diagnosed with glioblastoma tumors usually survive just 15 months after diagnosis. But Smith has been fighting her cancer since 2009. “Kind of makes you smile when they say you are a good candidate for something new," she said. "So I got worked into that study and it did work out beautifully.” The team of neurosurgeons, from Washington University in St. Louis are hoping to publish a more formal report on their work later this year.

VIDEO

 

[strollingbones]

my neighbor has been under going treatment for about a year now....he use to go to chicago to get radiation seems he has had all that he can be given now....he is on a home chemo treatment.....one week every three weeks he takes a round of chemo pills...one week a month...he is good the first few days then it slams him to the bed for a week or more...he is still above ground

 

[RodISHI]

Son is still hanging in with natural treatments. I'll post if anything changes.