Gene therapy halts tumor

by H. Janet McDaniel
Staff Writer

When chemotherapy was proving futile for her cancer, Josephine Fleming of Denton received her final medical advice:

"They told me to come home and enjoy my children."

That's what she intended to do, too. But that didn't set well with her son, Rod, of Friendswood. Instead, he turned to the Internet for help and tracked down a new cancer treatment called gene therapy.

He talked to Dr. Stephen G. Swisher at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston. Dr. Swisher is assistant professor of surgery in the Department of Thoracic Cardiovascular.

After Extensive testing, it was determined Mrs. Fleming qualified for the treatment.

Dr. Swisher said Mrs. Fleming had a non-operative, left lung cancer. She had received three courses of chemotherapy before they were discontinued due to toxicity.

“We’ve treated 52 patients,” said Dr. Swisher, “and 10% had a significant response with shrinkage; 60% remained stable; and 22% progressed.”

Since her gene therapy treatments last year, Mrs. Fleming has gained her weight back, and she now walks three miles per day.

Anyone interested in learning more about gene therapy please contact Marcello Dolormente at (713) 792-6932 or via e-mail at mdolormente @mail.mdanderson.org..

Gene Therapy Protocols available M.D. Anderson Cancer Center:

View additional M.D. Anderson Cancer Center protocols.