WSVN — It’s considered the deadliest form of brain cancer, and it usually strikes people at an early age. Now, a local hospital is trying an experimental treatment to save lives. 7’s Diana Diaz has more on this possible brain cancer breakthrough.
Keith Hallums was working two jobs to support his 3-year-old daughter, Sabrina.
So when the 30-year old started suffering from severe headaches, he thought it was stress.
But after a month of constant pain, he finally went to the emergency room.
Keith Hallums: “I’m thinking I’m going in there, they’re going to give me some medication, I’m going to leave and still go back to work.”
Keith had an MRI and that’s when doctors saw the mass. They told him it was cancer.
Dr. Atif Hussein: “The most common primary brain cancer and most aggressive is what we call glioblastoma mutilforme or short, GBM.”
Even more shocking, Keith’s tumor was stage four and he needed surgery right away to remove it.
Dr. Atif Hussein: “The tumor was causing so much pressure and was shifting the brain downward.”
Kathy Navarro: “We didn’t know what to think.”
Dr. Atif Hussein says this type of brain cancer tends to strike people in their 20’s and 30’s, and even with surgery, it’s nearly impossible to remove the entire tumor because it infiltrates the brain.
Dr. Atif Hussein: “That’s what causes this cancer to grow so fast.”
Even with treatment, most patients don’t live past two years because the cancer comes back.
But now, there is hope.
Keith was about to become the first patient at Memorial Cancer Center to receive an experimental vaccine.
Dr. Atif Hussein: “This is a personalized, customized vaccine of the patient against their own tumor.”
Here’s how it works: doctors take cells from the patient’s own tumor to create antibodies to trigger the patient’s immune response, then injects them back into the patient.
The hope is the vaccine will then attack and destroy the tumor cells.
Dr. Atif Hussein: “Our goal is to cure these people.”
Before getting the vaccine, surgeons removed 95 percent of Keith’s tumor.
Keith Hallums: “They had to open that up, take out a piece of the skull.”
His daughter’s visits to the hospital kept him going.
Kathy Navarro: “When Sabrina said ‘I love you,’ that was the first time I saw him smile.”
Next — seven weeks of chemotherapy and radiation.
Finally, on Christmas Eve, Keith got his first vaccine.
Doctors won’t know for several months if the vaccine is working, but Keith and his family have faith.
He says he will keep on fighting because he doesn’t plan on missing a moment with his daughter Sabrina.
Keith Hallums: “I’m like, ‘Yeah, you just got here so I’m not going no where. You’re going to have to do a lot more to get rid of me.'”
Researchers said about a dozen people around the country have been treated with this vaccine. So far, the results are encouraging, but they say more studies are needed.
For More Information:
To help Keith in his battle against cancer, visit: http://www.youcaring.com/search.aspx?keywords=keith+hallums
www.memorialcancerinstitute.com