A 13-year-old boy has become the first person to be cured of this deadly brain cancer
Yahoo • • health
Key Points:
- Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a rare, aggressive, and almost universally fatal brain tumor primarily affecting children, with less than 10% surviving beyond two years post-diagnosis.
- Lucas Jemeljanova, diagnosed at age six, became the first known child to be cured of DIPG after participating in the BIOMEDE clinical trial and receiving everolimus, a drug not previously used for this cancer.
- Everolimus works by blocking the mTOR protein, reducing blood supply to tumor cells and inhibiting their growth; Lucas' tumor disappeared completely and has not returned since.
- Seven other children in the trial showed long-term tumor stabilization, and researchers believe genetic mutations in tumors may explain varying responses to everolimus.
- New immunotherapy trials also show promise, with some patients experiencing tumor shrinkage and symptom improvement, but more research is needed to replicate and expand these successes.
