![]() Many people consider a treatment a breakthrough only if it cures. But there is still a long road to travel, with many unanswered questions about the risks and the types of patients who will benefit. That's not to say there isn't reason to be excited about the possibilities of the polio virus therapy. "We think this is a new standard," O'Callaghan said. Overall, they went from living an average of 7-1/2 months on radiation alone to 13- 1/2 months with the addition of chemotherapy. But Chris O'Callaghan, a senior investigator with the Canadian Cancer Trials Group at Queen's, and his colleagues discovered that when seniors are given a chemotherapy drug and a reduced dose of radiation, their survival improves. It's also well-known that radiation often causes cognitive side effects in seniors, so their overall survival rates aren't as long as those of other patients. Until now, treatment options for patients 65 and older have been limited, as few studies have looked at whether that age group responds to chemotherapy. The researchers said, however, that she lived nine months longer than she would have otherwise.Įarlier this month, a Queen's University researcher presented important results from a new study that he believes will change how the disease is treated in older people. The cancer resumed growing, and there were eventually no options left. But during last month's broadcast, it was revealed that Justice had suffered several setbacks. After being treated, her tumour shrank in size and she appeared to thrive. The focal point of the segment, however, was the story of Nancy Justice, a wife and mother in her late 50s. So you might understand why the segment was peppered with words such as "cure" and "miracle."īut how did others fare? One woman didn't respond well to the treatment and died a painful death, saying into a camera from her nursing home bed that she "might not have done" the treatment if she could choose again. Two of the patients featured were given a clean bill of health after receiving the viral treatment, something that is pretty much unheard of when it comes to glioblastoma. ![]() (The researchers were not available for an interview.) The virus itself also appears to directly kill cancer cells, said David Kroll, a former pharmaceutical sciences professor who is also an unpaid adjunct associate professor of general internal medicine at Duke.Ħ0 Minutes focused on a handful of patients treated with this new approach. In the case of glioblastoma, Duke researchers have discovered that the polio virus breaks open the cancer cells, making them vulnerable to an attack. Last October, for instance, the FDA approved Imlygic, an engineered version of the herpes virus, for the treatment of the deadly skin cancer melanoma. It's part of the burgeoning field known as immunotherapy, with researchers around the world testing other engineered viruses to see if they generate a cancer-fighting immune response. Researchers at Duke have been experimenting with an engineered version of the polio virus to destroy the cancer cells by igniting the body's own immune response. Median survival is about 14.6 months, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. The problem is, cancer cells find their way to other parts of the brain and are very hard to kill. Glioblastomas are typically treated with surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. So, is this the beginning of the end of glioblastoma? If only things were that simple. Food and Drug Administration had granted the treatment a "breakthrough therapy designation." ![]() The show has generated buzz about a purported cure, especially after host Scott Pelley revealed on the recent show that the U.S. The program focused on a research team at Duke who are using an engineered version of the polio virus – not the vaccine – to destroy the tumour. They were referring to a new "breakthrough" treatment for glioblastoma, the deadly cancer the Tragically Hip frontman has, that had been profiled on the show 60 Minutes in 2015 and last month. One reader wrote to me about a "revolutionary treatment" at North Carolina's Duke University "where they are actually curing the type of brain cancer Gord has." Another said he was "surprised that no one was talking about this new treatment in connection with Gord's diagnosis." Many others took to Twitter to urge Downie to go to the United States to get the "polio vaccine treatment." ![]() Soon after I wrote about Gord Downie's terminal cancer diagnosis, the e-mails and tweets started. ![]()
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