A 54-year-old male with metastatic lung
cancer that had spread to his brain, liver, and bone and a very rare
genetic mutation, continues to thrive because of targeted, combination
drug therapy that works through epigenetic means and was introduced in
his treatment plan three years ago. His case, treated at Gaynor
Integrative Oncology in New York, is reported to be the first reported clinical case study about the extended survival rate of a patient with this profile.
This case is particularly compelling since mortality from metastatic
lung cancer is greater than the combined mortality of the next three
most common forms of cancer (breast, colon, and pancreatic). Given the
high mortality rate and the reported resistance to BRAF inhibition
therapy, this case represents a breakthrough analysis of a new drug
treatment plan that offers huge potential for extending life for
patients with a similar molecular profile.
The patient was originally diagnosed in 2008 and was treated with
several chemotherapy regimens but developed progressive disease in the
brain, bone, liver and lung. Molecular profiling subsequently confirmed a
mutation in BRAF V600E, and he was treated with BRAF inhibitor,
Dabrafenib. After initial positive response to Dabrafenib, significant
disease progression was indicated by PET/CT and MRI and the patient was
determined to have developed resistance to this drug. The patient was
subsequently treated with a regimen co-targeting BRAF and MEK with
Vemurafenib and Trametinib, drugs also usually used only for melanoma
patients.
"Targeting specific genetic mutations with enhanced drug therapy that
works on the genetic level is the hope offered by ecogenetic medicine,"
Dr. Gaynor stated. "Because of medicine's evolution into treatment
that targets the functioning of tumor promoting and suppressing genes,
there is hope of longer, more vibrant lives for all cancer patients.
This case is a stunning example of the efficacy of targeted gene therapy
treatment."
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