Brain Cancer Patient In NJ Becomes 1st In Northeast To Receive New Treatment

SUMMIT, NJ — A patient at Overlook Medical Center in Summit is the first in the Northeast to be treated for glioblastoma with a new cell therapy, according to Atlantic Health Systems.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive primary brain tumor and formerly was known as glioblastoma multiforme. The patient is being treated as part of a Phase 2 clinical trial by the Atlantic Medical Group neuro-oncology and Atlantic Brain and Spine neurosurgery teams at both Overlook and Morristown Medical Center.

According to Dr. Robert Aiken with Atlantic Health, glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive type of brain cancer and has a typical survival period of 14-20 months.

The cancer can start at any age, and grows quickly to invade and destroy tissue. According to the Mayo Clinic, diagnoses tend to come more often in older adults, and a cure is yet to be found.

Treatments can slow the growth of cancer and help minimize symptoms.

Symptoms may include headaches, nausea, vomiting, blurred or double vision, trouble speaking, disruption to the sense of touch, and seizures. Balance issues and mobility to parts of the face and body may also occur.

Under this Phase 2 trial, the teams are assessing the effectiveness of DOC121, a patient-derived double-loaded dendritic cell therapy. This method is instituted along with standard-of-care treatment used for adult patients who are diagnosed and have had safe surgical resection.

DOC1021 is a "first-in-class" immunotherapy made from a patient's dendritic cells, mRNA, and proteins from samples of the tumor.

The study, which is sponsored by Diakonos Oncology, builds a patient's natural immune response by copying the way the body fights off viral infections to target and kill the cancer cells. Aiken called this trial "momentous" and an indication of "substantial momentum behind the science."

This type of treatment would have to be considered early in a patient's diagnosis before surgery, Dr. Yaron Moshel added, to meet technical requirements for precision.

The range of outcomes the group is primarily assessing of this randomized trial includes overall survival with 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival as the secondary measures. The data will also reflect progression-free survival, frequency of adverse event, health-related quality of life, and levels of neuro-cognitive response.

Patients eligible for the trial include those with a presumed diagnosis that is deemed to be resectable and anyone who is considered "a good candidate for post-operative standard of care temozolomide and radiation therapy."

According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no way to prevent glioblastoma.

Additional information can be found by calling 908-522-5985 or by visiting ClinicalTrials.gov.

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