PARIS: Lucas, a Belgian boy diagnosed with a rare type of brain tumour at the age of six, has emerged as a beacon of hope after being declared the first child in the world to have been cured of brainstem glioma, a particularly aggressive form of cancer.
Initially faced with a dire prognosis, Lucas’s miraculous recovery has stunned the medical community. French doctor Jacques Grill, head of the brain tumour programme at the Gustave Roussy cancer centre in Paris, expressed his emotional journey from delivering devastating news to Lucas’s parents to witnessing the complete eradication of the tumour.
The tumour, known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), is notorious for its ruthless progression and limited treatment options. Despite advancements in childhood cancer treatment, the survival rate for children diagnosed with DIPG remains dishearteningly low.
Rare Recovery from Brain Tumour
Lucas’s journey to recovery began when he participated in the BIOMEDE trial, which evaluates experimental treatments for DIPG. Remarkably, Lucas responded positively to the cancer drug everolimus, with his tumour disappearing entirely over the course of treatment.
Dr. Grill emphasized the uniqueness of Lucas’s case, citing the rarity of such a complete recovery among DIPG patients. The success of the treatment was attributed to the specific genetic mutation present in Lucas’s tumour, rendering it exceptionally responsive to the drug.
Researchers are now delving deeper into understanding the genetic intricacies of Lucas’s tumour, aiming to replicate his remarkable outcome in other patients. By studying tumour organoids in the lab, they hope to identify potential therapeutic targets that could pave the way for more effective treatments.
While Lucas’s case offers a glimmer of hope for future advancements in DIPG treatment, researchers caution that translating these findings into viable therapies will require extensive research and time.
Nevertheless, Dr. David Ziegler, a paediatric oncologist at Sydney Children’s Hospital in Australia, remains optimistic about the future, citing significant progress in DIPG research and trials.
