Best Life: Controlling cancer cell spread

COLUMBUS, Ohio. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – About 64,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year, and over 50,000 will die from it. Health experts say it’s a hard cancer to cure because it doesn’t respond well to standard chemotherapy.

Researchers are testing a new therapy for patients with pancreatic and other cancers fueled by a genetic mutation.

Donna and Bob Baioni grew up in the same small town. Donna says they couldn’t stand each other in grade school.

At age 16, something changed, and now, they’ve been married for 56 years. Right after their 50th wedding anniversary celebration, Bob started having abdominal and back pain that wouldn’t go away.

“Next thing I know, I’ve got pancreatic cancer diagnosis,” he said.

Bob had surgery. Even after multiple rounds of chemo, the cancer came back. He had no energy and started missing family events, like his granddaughter’s graduation.

That’s when Bob’s doctor referred him to The Ohio State University medical oncologist and researcher, Sameek Roychowdhury, MD, who determined that Bob had a rare FGFR mutation fueling his cancer. Dr. Roychowdhury and his colleagues were looking at new treatments for patients with the same mutation, in what’s called a basket trial.

“It’s a basket because we’re allowing patients with different cancer types to join the trial. So, uterus cancer, cancer of the head and neck,” Dr. Roychowdhury explains.

Patients on the trial take a pill for two or three weeks, with a one-week break.

“These drugs are smart drugs, so, they’re designed to go right after the FGFR gene,” said Dr. Roychowdhury mentions.

The treatment isn’t a cure but Bob’s cancer has stopped growing.

“Maybe it might not go away, but he’s stable,” said His wife Donna.

The Ohio State researchers are also hoping to enroll patients for a trial that is specific to pancreatic cancer patients with the FGFR gene mutation.

It will be a telemedicine-enabled trial, meaning they’ll be accepting patients nationwide, and following them through virtual appointments.

The researchers are hoping to have approval to proceed by the end of the summer.

Contributors to this news report include: Cyndy McGrath, Producer; Kirk Manson, Videographer; Roque Correa, Editor.

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