A teenage boy from Belgium has become the first known case in the world to be cured of the deadliest childhood cancer, brainstem glioma.
Lucas, diagnosed with the aggressive brainstem glioma at the tender age of six, was given a grim prognosis, with typical survival rates ranging from just nine to 12 months post-diagnosis.
Initially presenting with difficulty walking straight, Lucas’s condition seemed dire. However, against all odds, Lucas, now 13, stands cancer-free, marking a remarkable turnaround from what seemed like an inevitable fate.
Dr. Jacques Grill, an oncologist at the Gustave Roussy Cancer Centre in Paris, expressed astonishment at Lucas’s recovery, stating, “I don’t know of any other case like him in the world.”
Lucas’s journey to recovery involved his participation in the BIOMEDE trial in France, where he was administered the cancer drug Everolimus. The response was nothing short of extraordinary, as successive MRI scans revealed the complete disappearance of the tumor.
While Lucas’s case stands as a beacon of hope, researchers caution that translating this success into a widespread treatment will take time. Prof. Marie-Anne Debily from Université d’Évry Val d’Essonne stressed that the process of developing a viable drug based on Lucas’s unique genetic profile could take a decade or more.