TIL Immunotherapy at NCI

[Ceebo]

So glad to hear you are doing so well!! Wonderful news--enjoy the holidays with your family!! --Cindie

[Cfbiff]

Just submitted blood work and tumor sample for testing to see if I would be a candidate. Looking forward to reading great results for you in Jan!

[Sleen]

Just submitted blood work and tumor sample for testing to see if I would be a candidate. Looking forward to reading great results for you in Jan!

Good Luck! Please keep us posted.

Celine

[Cfbiff]

Celine, thanks for the note. It won't let me respond through private message. No we don't know each other. We are interested in anything that will give us a chance. I'm stage IV with liver mets...so far I'm responding to tho folfox, but know from reading these boards that doesn't last. So we are trying to apply for any hope we can find as our docs approach is to treat with chemo and just ride it out until death. My life is worth more than that.
They expressed surprise that I would be contacting them so early, but were thankful as we could get much of the screening out of the way.

[Sleen]

My life is worth more than that.

Absolutely!

Celine

[Sleen]

Happy Day!

My CT showed 46% shrinkage in the (four) target tumors since treatment began (July 2015). I'm officially a "partial responder" to the trial. Still hoping to get to "complete response"--the attending told me today "all we can do is wait".

I didn't realize how stressed I was until today's visits were finished. Time to hibernate

Celine

[Lund5505]

That is such exciting news. So hoping you get to complete. I have been watching your progress with great enthusiasm. You are so strong and brave you have all my respect. After seeing your experience I am beginning the process of applying for this trial and a couple of others as well.

[Cfbiff]

Fabulous encouraging news.....6 months out from treatment and progress accelerating......so cool. Happy for you!

[midlifemom]

Congrats you "partial responder"
Thanks for being part of this trial and for keeping us in the loop.
Enjoy your hibernation.

[lpas]

Woohoo!! That's the kind of news I love to hear!

[lpas]

Sleen,

I've been thinking about your post and was meaning to ask if you've heard anything from the doctors about how other trial patients are doing? Just curious if your success is considered somewhat of an anomaly, or if other trial participants have been seeing similar responses. Do you know of any others who are colorectal?

Also--from your blog posts, it sounds as though yours is one of the only cases where the KRAS mutation has been targeted, which surprises me a little. Is that correct? Do you have any idea if they've seen promising results with any of the other more common mutations as of yet (e.g. APC, p53, BRAF, SMAD4, PIK3CA, HER2/ERBB2, etc.)?

Thanks so much for all that you've contributed on this subject. It really is fascinating.

[Sleen]

...it sounds as though yours is one of the only cases where the KRAS mutation has been targeted...

So far, my case is the first and only that targeted a known driver-mutation.

...how other trial patients are doing?

I have heard from a couple of patients. The doctors speak only in general terms. There have been 2 responders so far, however, they have changed the protocol recently. Patients now will get pembrolizumab in addition to TIL. This latest change to the treatment is too new at the moment to determine whether it will improve outcomes, but the docs are hopeful that it will.

Do you know of any others who are colorectal?

Yes! I will let them tell their own stories. I met two of them at my last follow-up. I'm excited for them both!!! It will be a few months before their outcomes are known.

Do you have any idea if they've seen promising results with any of the other more common mutations as of yet

The other responder had TIL that reacted against the ERBB2IP mutation.

Celine

[lpas]

...it sounds as though yours is one of the only cases where the KRAS mutation has been targeted...

So far, my case is the first and only that targeted a known driver-mutation.

...how other trial patients are doing?

I have heard from a couple of patients. The doctors speak only in general terms. There have been 2 responders so far, however, they have changed the protocol recently. Patients now will get pembrolizumab in addition to TIL. This latest change to the treatment is too new at the moment to determine whether it will improve outcomes, but the docs are hopeful that it will.

Do you know of any others who are colorectal?

Yes! I will let them tell their own stories. I met two of them at my last follow-up. I'm excited for them both!!! It will be a few months before their outcomes are known.

Do you have any idea if they've seen promising results with any of the other more common mutations as of yet

The other responder had TIL that reacted against the ERBB2IP mutation.

Celine

Very interesting. Thanks so much!

[Cfbiff]

Any updates?

[Sleen]

Not yet. Next follow-up visit is coming up at the end of the week.

Celine