New hope may be an injection away for patients living with glioma, a terminal brain cancer that comes with a life expectancy of about 25 weeks post-diagnosis.A new vaccine called Vitaspen is made by using tissue extracted from each person's cancerous tumor. The tissue is used as a unique footprint for the vaccine that targets destructive tumor tissue while sparing healthy tissue in the same region.
Vitaspen is only in the first stage of clinical human trials, but researchers are pleased with the promise of the new drug -- particularly the benefits trial participants are gaining form the treatment. They have reported no adverse side effects, and the drug has increased the overall survival rate.
Results of stage one trials will determine if the drug warrants stage two testing.
1. Please help with resources about helping my mother with GBM. She was diagnosed @ a year ago and time is of essence. We have been told she is eligible for adrug not approved by FDA, evastin, but she has no money and nor does the family in helping her get this drug. Are there ways in doing this for my mother or this new drug vitaspen. Please forward my email address to any doctor, facility etc. that could offer help.
thank you kindly,
anna fazio (daughter of Maria Palumbo, GBM patient)
Posted at 2:26PM on May 7th 2007 by anna fazio