First person in the world

Boy (13) in Belgium defeats deadly brain tumor

In Belgium, a boy (13) has become the first person in the world to beat a deadly brain tumor. He was treated with a drug that had never before been effective against this type of tumor. Typically, 98 percent of patients die in the first five years after diagnosis.

Diffuse intrinsic ponsglioma (DIPG), a tumor in the brain stem, was previously considered incurable. Lucas, from Belgium, was one of hundreds of children in Europe who are diagnosed with DIPG every year. The average survival time after diagnosis is only around nine to 15 months. Only two percent of sufferers live longer than five years, and there has been no cure to date.

Lucas' tumor was discovered when he felt unwell and even lost consciousness while on vacation with his parents (see video on symptoms above). The doctors who discovered the cancer gave him little chance of survival. A small hope lay in treatment with the drug Everolimus, which is often used for other types of tumors, but had never worked for DIPG.

Tumor shrank
It is designed to block mTOR, the protein involved in the division and growth of cancer cells. In Lucas' case, the tumor actually shrank as a result of taking the drug. "Over a series of MRI scans, I was able to see the tumor disappear completely," said Jaques Grill, the attending physician. "I know of no other case like it in the world." Although the therapy has worked for other children so far, their tumors did not disappear completely, unlike Lucas'.

Over a series of MRI scans, I was able to observe how the tumor disappeared completely. I know of no other case like him in the world.

Behandelnder Arzt Jaques Grill

Further research follows
Seven years later - Lucas is now 13 years old - the cancer is no longer detectable in the boy's body. "Lucas has overcome all hurdles. His case gives hope to many people," said the doctor. It is not yet clear why Everolimus worked so well for the Belgian boy. It is possible that he had a rare mutation that made his cells more sensitive to the drug.

Why Lucas could be cured is still to be investigated. The aim is to be able to offer a successful therapy. "This case is incredibly exciting. In brain tumor oncology, more and more emphasis is being placed on precision medicine in order to see which drugs work and which do not. However, the case should not be generalized, as studies have already shown that the drug does not always work," said neurologist Christoph Kleinschnitz from Essen University Hospital to Bild.