Keep this in mind.
A major hospital, university and medical research center in Cleveland, Ohio (University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and MetroHealth Medical Center) have a unique clinical cancer trial. It involves a smaller, tailored method for treating cancer patients by screening for a certain protein in the liver so they can target the treatment with a special drug called irinotecan which is added to their chemotherapy treatment. The other half of the people in the trial receive the standard chemotherapy. This method differs from treatment by the location of the cancer and treatment is determined by the molecular characteristics of the tumor. It allows a new model or smaller trials of carefully-chosen patients based on having relevant mutations or genetic molecular defects.
A report on the success of a 39-yo male who was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and only a few months to live was accepted into the trial in May and received the special drug. After four rounds of chemo with irinotecan, the six tumors on his liver and the one in his colon all had shrunk by more than 50%. He had two more rounds of chemo and then surgery on Oct. 21 He will recover for a few weeks and then receive more chemotherapy.
He says they didnt come right out and say youre cured but they did say they were able to shrink the tumors so they could be removed and they are very confident they removed all of the cancer.
The physician is Neil Meropol, MD, chief of the division of hemotology and oncology at UH Case Medical Center.
