Medical Moment Breakthrough Treatment Makes Dad Cancer Free

A New Treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma Gives Hope to Patients

Hodgkin Lymphoma is a type of cancer that mostly strikes people in the prime of their lives, between 20 and 40 years old. Traditionally, it has been treated with chemotherapy and radiation. However, a new treatment is now turning the body against the deadly cells and giving more hope to more people battling this disease.

Georgie Garabet’s Experience with Hodgkin Lymphoma

Georgie Garabet is a father of two who was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma at the age of 43. Before his diagnosis, he didn’t know what lymphoma was and had to do a crash course on cancer. Garabet experienced extreme symptoms such as having to sleep standing up, sometimes, and rapid weight loss, dropping from around 245-250 pounds to 170 pounds.

Garabet immediately enrolled in a phase three clinical trial at City of Hope that combines chemotherapy with Nivolumab, an antibody that tracks down the cancer hiding in the body and calls on the immune system to attack.

The Promise of Nivolumab Treatment

The combination of chemotherapy and Nivolumab has shown great potential in treating Hodgkin Lymphoma. After one year of treatment, 94% of patients were cancer-free, compared to 86% treated with the current standard of care, brentuximab. Less than 1% needed follow-up radiation treatment.

Dr. Alex Herrera, Hematologist at City of Hope, explains that patients in the trial who received Nivolumab treatment were twice as likely to be disease-free compared to those who received brentuximab. “It was a huge improvement,” said Dr. Herrera.

After his fourth infusion, Garabet was given the good news that there was no trace of lymphoma in his body. Two years later, there is still no sign of the disease.

The Future of Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment

The next steps for researchers include following the almost 1,000 patients in the clinical trial and seeking FDA approval for Nivolumab treatment to become the standard of care for all stage three and four Hodgkin Lymphoma patients.

Conclusion

The potential of Nivolumab treatment in combination with chemotherapy offers hope to many patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma who may have previously had limited options. As clinical trials progress and the treatment becomes more established, it is possible that Nivolumab treatment could become the standard of care, bringing relief to those battling this disease and their loved ones.

Originally Post From https://www.wndu.com/2024/06/25/medical-moment-breakthrough-treatment-makes-dad-cancer-free/