Grad student tries new cancer drug

One year ago, Phillip Bannister GS was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Today, he is one of the first people to be injected with an experimental new drug intended to eliminate the cancer.

Bannister, a graduate student in the physics department, was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive and common type of brain tumor. Even with the best available treatment, the typical life expectancy for victims of GBM is rarely more than a few years.

He decided to participate in a clinical trial of Cotara, an experimental treatment for GBM, after his doctor brought the opportunity to his attention. "As a physics student, the logic behind this treatment made sense to me," he said.

Bannister first underwent surgery to remove most of the tumor and chemotherapy to inhibit the spread of the cancer. This treatment caused a brief remission, but the tumor persisted. "At that point," he said, "there is no gold standard for treatment, so a choice of treatment is basically an educated guess."

Traditional treatments struggle to combat brain tumors because they must distinguish between normal brain tissue and a tumor. Furthermore, a wall of cells separates the brain from the bloodstream, which means injecting drugs into the patient's veins — as is done in chemotherapy — is less effective.

In contrast, Cotara is delivered directly to the tumor rather than through the bloodstream, and the antibodies bind only to tumor cells, leaving normal brain tissue intact. During the procedure, artificial antibodies attached to radioactive iodine are injected into the tumor. These antibodies bind specifically to tumor cells, which are then killed by the radiation.

In the course of the treatment, the patient has two catheters inserted through the scalp directly and into the tumors. The antibodies are then delivered through the catheters. "Relatively speaking, Cotara is very low-impact," Bannister said. "The surgery was minimal — I was able to walk on my feet that night."

He added that compared to surgery — which was both painful and required weeks for recovery — being treated with Cotara "was just a world of difference."

Joanna Lopinto, a research nurse working on the study, said one purpose of the study is to pinpoint how much of the drug should be injected into patients. "There have been human trials done before, which showed that it is safe in humans," she said. "Now we are trying to determine the correct dose. If lower doses are tolerated, we'll try to increase the dosage."

Bannister said he has few qualms about undergoing an experimental therapy. "[Previous] treatments were considered palliative care," he explained, which means that they slow the advance of the tumor, but do not eliminate it. "At least with the experimental treatment," he added, "there is the possibility that it could cure [the cancer]."

Except for examinations at Penn's hospital, Bannister said he is able to pursue his studies without difficulty.

He added that he encourages others to participate in clinical trials. "[They're] how new things get brought to market that can help other people in the future," he said. "Even though I'm not a physician, I can say I did something to help."