Belgian Boy Makes History As First Child Ever Cured Of Brain Cancer

Lucas, a 13-year-old from Belgium, has made medical history as the world's first known child to conquer diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. Diagnosed at the age of six, Lucas defied all expectations by exhibiting no traces of the tumor after undergoing seven years of treatment, instilling hope in countless families confronting similar challenges.

Initially diagnosed at the tender age of six, Lucas and his family faced a grim prognosis, with doctors delivering agonising conversations with the family that their 6-year-old child was going to die. With zero to no hope left, Lucas' family travelled from Belgium to France to get him enrolled in the BIOMEDE trial, where Lucas became the first patient to be miraculously scanned with no residuals of his fatal brain tumour. 

The Rare Cure for DIPG

With advances in medical sciences over the decades, it is now observed that more than 85% of children survive more than 5 years after being diagnosed with cancer, however, outliers to this average lie with a few sinister cancers, like the brain stem glioma, medically known as DIPG. 

DIPG typically carries a grim prognosis, with most children succumbing within a year of diagnosis. The tumour, located in the brainstem, controls vital functions like breathing and heart rate, making traditional treatments like surgery and radiation ineffective. The two-year survival rate after being diagnosed with DIPG is 10%, and no drug is widely available for treatment beyond radiotherapy for the cure, as most children die within a year of diagnosis. 

Around 300 children in the United States and 100 in France, where Dr. Grill practices, are diagnosed with the brutally fatal DIPG each year. Lucas's journey, however, offers a beacon of light.

Belgian Boy Becomes First Child Cured Of Brutal Brain Cancer

Seeking an answer where none seemed to exist, Lucas's family enrolled him in a clinical trial at the Gustave Roussy Cancer Center in Paris. There, he received the drug Everolimus, an mTOR inhibitor, as part of the BIOMEDE trial investigating potential DIPG treatments. While research on its effectiveness is ongoing, Lucas exhibited a remarkable response, with the tumour steadily shrinking until it completely disappeared.

"Lucas beat all the odds," says Dr. Jacques Grill, head of the brain tumour program at Gustave Roussy and Lucas's treating physician. "Over a series of MRI scans, I watched as the tumour vanished completely."

Lucas, who was randomly assigned to the drug Everolimus had strongly responded to the drug after consuming it for 5 years. Lucas had some remarkable success in the case, as among the seven other children in the BIOMEDE trial, Lucas was the only one who had his tumour completely disappear, becoming a case to study that can become a potential ray of hope to improve outcomes for children with this cancer. 

The report also highlights the commendable outliers in Lucas' case to be genetic mutation, which is a rare sight in history and especially suspect to medication. The biomedical researchers speaking to the news outlet AFP said they are now hoping to reproduce the tumour cells in vitro for Lucas' mutation.

Dr. Grill added that if researchers can, they can replicate the findings of the BIOMEDE trial on the tumours in virto and confirm the cause of Lucas' remarkable recovery. 

While Lucas's case provides immense hope, experts caution against declaring a universal cure. DIPG remains a complex and poorly understood cancer, and more research is needed to validate the findings and improve treatment options for other children.