New Radioactive Therapy Halves Man’s Brain Tumour In Groundbreaking Cancer Trial
In a first-of-its-kind clinical trial at University College London Hospitals (UCLH), a new radioactive injection treatment has reduced a 62-year-old Luton man’s aggressive brain tumour by half.
Paul Read, who was diagnosed with recurrent glioblastoma last December, is the first patient in UCLH’s CITADEL-123 trial, which uses the drug ATT001 to directly target the tumour.
Glioblastomas, which rarely spread beyond the brain, are notoriously difficult to treat. After previous treatments, including surgery and chemotherapy, failed to stop the tumour’s growth, Read was offered the experimental therapy.
Through a device called an Ommaya reservoir, doctors inject ATT001 directly into the tumour, delivering radiation that targets cancerous cells while sparing healthy tissue.
The trial is still in early stages, treating one patient monthly, and will gradually include up to 40 participants, with doses increased over time.
Dr. Paul Mulholland, the oncologist behind the trial, described Read’s tumour reduction as “remarkable,” adding that the approach is ideal for cancers like glioblastoma that remain localized within the brain.
Researchers plan to combine ATT001 with immunotherapy to boost the immune system’s response against cancer cells. Although the treatment is promising, Mulholland noted that the trial is still in its cautious phase, with each patient undergoing treatment for six weeks.
For Read, this trial has been a “lifeline,” offering hope not only for himself but potentially for others facing similarly aggressive cancers.
“Even if it doesn’t benefit me,” he expressed, “it may benefit someone else down the line.”
Featured image: Sky News
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