Monday, August 13, 2018

Promising Cancer Treatment Breakthrough

In a promising development, a new kind of weapon in the fight against cancer is about to be deployed:

"His oncologists delight in observing that if you saw Rulli on the street, you’d never guess he was sick. At 66, he still is 6-foot-1, still 215 pounds thanks partly to golf-course beer, still an easygoing husband and father of two children, now rejoicing in granddaughters"

In 2013, Bob Rulli was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, a rare but extremely nasty brain tumor. I know, because I lost my baby sister to one a few months ago. These are almost always a death sentence, and difficult to treat; the average life expectancy is about a year and a half.

Now, thanks to some true medical adventurers, there appears to be a real reason for hope, and so far it also appears to have few (if any) side effects):

"On that day in September 2016, for the first treatment, Rulli spent the day at UC with Wise-Draper and Morris keeping vigil for bad reactions. He had none. He felt fine."

Over the next year and a half, Mr Rulli continued to receive the medicine, called BXQ-350, in ever increasing dosages. Repeated MRI's showed that the tumor continued to shrink.

And then there was a glitch...

This is such a great story, I really recommend it. There's no rosy glasses here: there are definitely hurdles left. But so, so promising.

[Hat Tip: FoIB Holly R]
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