Latest news with #braincancer
CBS News
24-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Orange County family hoping clinical trial saves their mother from brain cancer
An Orange County mom, who survived the unimaginable pain of losing her three young children, is in a desperate fight to save her life. Lori Coble's son and daughters were killed in a crash on the 5 Freeway in 2007. Almost exactly a year later, she gave birth to triplets who are now about to start their senior year in high school. Jake, Ellie, Ashley and their dad Chris are praying and hoping that Lori's glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, discovered just a few weeks ago can be cured. "So much has happened to my family and I can't help but think, why is this happening again?" Ellie said. "It's just so unfair but through both of these trials, we've really built a community and we have so many people looking out for my family and helping us. I couldn't be more grateful for the support." Chris said the brain cancer affects Lori as if she had a stroke. "A bad stroke that affected the left side of her body," he said. "Her motor control is highly restricted. She also can't really see very well because the tumor behind her right eye is affecting her vision. She needs pretty much constant care every moment of the day." Lori recently had surgery to remove part of the tumor. An online fundraiser is collecting money to help cover the costs of in-home care. She'll have a second surgery at City of Hope next week to remove the rest of the tumor, which Chris described as necessary but risky because she could lose complete mobility on her left side. "She's definitely fighting this fight," Ashley said. "I know she's going to try her hardest." Lifting the family's spirits is a new clinical trial at City of Hope. Doctors will use the DNA from a cancerous tumor to create a personalized vaccine. "There have been some patients on this vaccine trial that have lived longer," Lori's neurosurgeon Dr. Benham Badie said. "There is some hope and some preliminary data that this vaccine may work. Every patient is different. We don't know if she will get the vaccine and whether it's going to work for her." The clinical trial is randomized, meaning half of the patients will get the vaccine. Chris said he's run out of tears and is kept awake at night thinking about what his family is going through. "I feel like we've had enough pain in our lives that we could really use a break somewhere along the line," Chris said. "That's not fair to say because every person that has this aggressive brain cancer is going through those same concerns, same tragic realization. I just hope we can see her, keep her alive for as long as possible now."
ABC News
23-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
A Dad's mission to save his daughter, and conquer cancer
Matt Dun left school at 17 to join the Australian navy as a submariner and later finished his high school certificate as an adult attending TAFE at night. He then trained in biomedical science and was researching childhood leukaemia when his family received some devastating news, their little daughter Josie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Matt turned all his energy and expertise into searching for treatments to help Josie and other children like her. He found running was one thing that helped him cope with the stress and pain of his daughter's illness, and with his wife founded the charity, RUN DIPG Further information Find out more about the Conversations Live National Tour on the ABC website.
The Sun
22-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
My husband died after accusing me of having an affair – his paranoia and midlife crisis were signs of hidden killer
A DAD who started experiencing memory loss, confusion, and paranoia - suspecting his wife was having an affair - put his symptoms down to poor mental health. But a scan later revealed they were signs of a lethal killer that two years later would sadly take his life. 6 6 6 Andy Hampton, 55, passed away in May this year after being diagnosed with grade 4 glioblastoma. In May 2023, his increasing paranoia, which involved suspecting his wife Gemma, 37, was having an affair, brain fog and overwhelming sense of depression led to a breakdown and the diagnosis of an infection. But when the symptoms continued the dad-of-four went back to the GP and a scan revealed a mass on his brain the size of a satsuma, and he was initially given three months to live. Gemma, from Sturminster Newton, Dorset, said: "I thought Andy was having a midlife crisis or a mental breakdown. His paranoia caused him to believe things that weren't true. "He even suspected I was having an affair. He kept saying he knew it was all in his head, but he couldn't stop the thoughts." Andy, who worked as a land agent for more than two decades, was misdiagnosed with an infection by his GP. But after he began suffering headaches that made him physically sick, he was referred for a CT scan at Dorset County Hospital. When the mass on his brain was revealed, he was urgently transferred to Southampton General for an MRI. Scans showed the grade 4 glioblastoma - a fast-growing and lethal brain cancer - measured 7.5cm by 8.1cm. Gemma said: "The initial prognosis was devastating, doctors told us that Andy only had three months to live, I was in shock, we were both speechless, they gave us leaflets but Andy didn't want to read them, he just shut down. I was given a week to live after doctors found a decade-old tumour on my brain "In some ways it was a relief to know what we were experiencing wasn't our imagination or a breakdown in our marriage. We were determined to fight it." Andy had 95 per cent of the tumour surgically removed on May 31, 2023, followed by six weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. But he experienced complications following the operation - facial seizures, and a kidney infection. Gemma said: "Recovery had its setbacks, but we were so pleased the surgery went well we felt that the worst was over, and we could somehow get back to normal. "When we got back home Andy had changed. He wasn't the man I married, not because he didn't love us anymore, but because his brain no longer allowed him to show it." But he began to slowly recover and had three monthly scans to monitor his condition. Gemma said: "Everything was ok for a while, then during Christmas 2024 Andy started acting out of character again, every day was different, and we couldn't work out what was wrong." A routine scan in January this year showed the tumour hadn't grown but fluid was building up on his brain, causing his personality changes. He had a second operation in February to fit a shunt to relieve the pressure, but his health continued to decline. Andy had a seizure that lasted three hours and an MRI scan revealed he had a bleed on his brain, two new tumours and blood clots in his lungs. Gemma said: "That is when my whole world crashed, I didn't know what to say or do, I just felt helpless. I was holding it together the best I could to be there for Andy. But I knew I was losing him. "We were naive to think that because they removed most of the tumour Andy would be OK. We were dreadfully wrong." He died on May 6 this year - leaving behind Gemma and their four children - Finn, 26, Alisha, 23, Isabelle, five, and Henley, three. 6 6 6 Gemma said: "Andy was fit, strong, and full of life. We should have been enjoying this chapter of parenthood together. "A glioblastoma doesn't give families time, it steals futures. The government must do more; it is shocking to know that just 1 per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2002. We need more research, faster diagnoses, and real hope. People like Andy deserve more than a death sentence." Gemma and the children are taking part in the Walk of Hope this year to raise money for Brain Tumour Research and campaign for more funding and earlier diagnoses. Letty Greenfield, Community Development Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "Andy's story is heartbreakingly common. Glioblastoma is one of the most complex and underfunded areas in cancer research. "We urgently need the government to increase investment so we can improve early diagnosis, develop better treatments, and ultimately find a cure. "We're incredibly grateful to Gemma and the Hampton family for sharing their story and continuing to fundraise during such a difficult time." The most common symptoms of a brain tumour More than 12,000 Brits are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour every year — of which around half are cancerous — with 5,300 losing their lives. The disease is the most deadly cancer in children and adults aged under 40, according to the Brain Tumour Charity. Brain tumours reduce life expectancies by an average of 27 years, with just 12 per cent of adults surviving five years after diagnosis. There are two main types, with non-cancerous benign tumours growing more slowly and being less likely to return after treatment. Cancerous malignant brain tumours can either start in the brain or spread there from elsewhere in the body and are more likely to return. Brain tumours can cause headaches, seizures, nausea, vomiting and memory problems, according to the NHS. They can also lead to changes in personality weakness or paralysis on one side of the problem and problems with speech or vision. The nine most common symptoms are: Headaches Seizures Feeling sick Being sick Memory problems Change in personality Weakness or paralysis on one side of the body Vision problems Speech problems If you are suffering any of these symptoms, particularly a headache that feels different from the ones you normally get, you should visit your GP. Source: NHS
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
I was cured of one of the deadliest forms of cancer after trialling a new drug... my brain cancer is gone
A father who suffered with the world's deadliest form of brain cancer has been cleared after he underwent an experimental treatment. Ben Trotman, 43, who was diagnosed with glioblastoma in October 2022, is now showing no signs of the disease after being administered an immunotherapy drug in a world first two years ago. Most patients with the aggressive form of brain cancer typically die within 12-to-18 months. Consultant medical oncologist, Dr Paul Mulholland, who is leading the new trial and treated Mr Trotman, said: 'It is very unusual to have a clear scan with glioblastoma, especially when he didn't have the follow-up surgery that had been planned to remove all of the tumour that was initially visible on scans. 'We hope that the immunotherapy and follow-up treatment Ben has had will hold his tumour at bay – and it has so far, which we are delighted to see.' Mr Trotman married his wife Emily two months after the immunotherapy treatment in 2023, and in April, his daughter Mabel was born. The father-of-one said: 'Getting this diagnosis was the most traumatic experience. We were grappling with the fact that Ben had gone from being apparently perfectly healthy to having months to live. 'Had we not met Dr Mulholland, that would have been it for us. We felt we had a lucky break in an otherwise devastating situation.' Ben Trotman, 43, who was diagnosed with glioblastoma in October 2022, is now showing no signs of the disease after being administered an immunotherapy drug in a world first two years ago Mr Trotman went on to have the current standard treatment of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. He also undergoes quarterly cans, which continue to return clear. 'We obviously don't know what the future holds but having had the immunotherapy treatment and getting these encouraging scan results has given Emily and I a bit of hope,' he said. 'We are focused on rebuilding the life we thought we had lost and enjoying being parents'. The trial, from University College London Hospital's National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, follows a previous one on the same drug which closed because of lack of recruitment. But Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP lead a fundraising campaign to raise more than £1million to cover the costs of the new trials after her sister, Baroness McDonagh, died from glioblastoma in 2023. Dame Siobhain said: 'My beloved sister Margaret was appalled to discover that there had been no advances in brain cancer treatment for decades when she was diagnosed with glioblastoma. 'Changing this was Margaret's final campaign and one that I have continued in her memory. 'I am so grateful to the many people who knew and respected Margaret who have come together and helped to raise funds and campaign for this new trial that we are calling Margaret's Trial.' Dr Paul Mulholland said: 'When I met Margaret she said to me 'what can I do to support you to cure this disease?'. 'I am incredibly grateful to her and to Siobhain whose campaigning and fundraising in her sister's memory has led to this new clinical trial opening for patients with this most aggressive form of brain cancer that has such a poor prognosis, with most patients surviving just nine months after diagnosis. 'The crucial element of this trial is that patients will have their immune system boosted by the drug before they have any other treatment, when they are fit and well enough to tolerate the immunotherapy. 'We're taking everything we have learned from previous trials into this new study and we are already planning follow-on trials. 'My aim is to find a cure for glioblastoma.' The National Brain Appeal is currently funding two posts in support of Dr Mulholland's research. Treatment will take place at the NIHR UCLH's Clinical Research Facility and at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Man, 38, diagnosed with deadly brain cancer with grim survival rate after suffering painful sensation in head
Branden Newman had been suffering from migraines since he was just 13 years old. Normally, he would take an over-the-counter painkiller and the pain in his head would disappear within 24 hours. But in late April, the Texas native suffered a six-day migraine that left him unable to eat and constantly feeling dizzy, nauseous and sensitive to light. It was then that the now 38-year-old was taken to the emergency room, where scans revealed a large 'mass' in his head that had wrapped around one of his vital blood vessels. Doctors diagnosed him with glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and deadly types of brain cancer which most patients do not survive for longer than 18 months. Revealing his symptoms to TODAY, he said: 'I had a headache for six days straight. I wasn't eating. I was sleeping a lot and just not myself. I was just out of it.' Just six days after the diagnosis, he was rushed through for major surgery where doctors cut out part of his skull to remove 90 percent of the tumor. But during the surgery, one of his major blood vessels spasmed, causing a stroke and now leaving him struggling to move anything on the left side of his body. Glioblastomas can be diagnosed at any age and are particularly difficult to treat because the tumors can grow tentacles deep into the brain. About 12,000 people are diagnosed with the disease every year, and only five percent of them survive longer than five years, estimates suggest. Cases are rising, experts say, including a slight uptick among those under 40 years old, but physicians are stumped as to the cause. Newman went to his primary care doctor, and then the emergency room after his wife Joanna, who works in a physician's office, recommended that he got checked. 'Branden had a migraine for six days,' she told local news station KCENTV. 'He's always had migraines, but this one was different because it lasted so long and he was nauseous and the light really bothered him.' Revealing the moment she found out the diagnosis, she said: 'My boss came and got me out of the [operating room] and told me that they found a mass on Branden and I lost it.' He was diagnosed with a 'mass' on May 2, and underwent a craniotomy to remove it on May 8, a surgery where doctors cut open the skull to access the brain. He has endured radiation for six weeks followed by weekly chemotherapy for six months to eliminate the tumor cells, and is now undergoing daily chemotherapy. Newman is also taking perampanel, an anti-seizure medication that can have anti-tumor effects, and gabapentin, also an anti-seizure drug that has been linked to improved survival among people with the disease. Doctors said that during the surgery, they tried to remove the tumor from around his middle cerebral artery, one of the three major arteries that supply blood to the brain. But during the procedure, the blood vessel spasmed, causing a stroke and damage to the brain tissue. He was initially unable to move his left side after waking up from surgery but has now recovered enough movement to walk again. He is still having trouble with his left arm. Newman revealed his diagnosis amid Glioblastoma Awareness Day on July 16, which aims to make more people aware of the disease. Warning signs of the disease include a persistent headache, vomiting, loss of appetite, double vision and changes in mood and personality. Doctors say the overwhelming majority of headaches do not represent tumors, but those who are concerned should speak to their primary care providers. Newman and his wife were childhood sweethearts, having met when he was 13 and she was just 11 years old while on a camping trip. The pair dated in high school and married in 2007. But shortly after the wedding, the pair faced a crisis when Newman's wife was unexpectedly diagnosed with a non-cancerous spinal cord tumor that left her struggling to walk. Newman stuck by her and supported her through the surgery and the recovery. His wife said: 'Branden stuck by me through all of that, even at such a young age and facing life with potentially having your wife in a wheelchair. 'He took great care of me all the way through. I am so grateful. He's such a good man.' She is now looking after Newman and helping to support him while he battles his diagnosis. The pair has also launched a fundraiser to help cover hospital and emergency bills triggered by battling the disease. It has already raised $140,000 out of its $35,000 goal.
