Defying the odds, Ben Trotman, who was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2022, is cancer-free two years after receiving ipilimumab, an experimental immunotherapy, along with radiation and chemotherapy. His physician, Dr. Paul Mulholland, stated that the clear scans were “very unusual” and drew attention to the fact that no follow-up surgery was required.
For context, Emily Trotman, Ben’s wife, said the diagnosis was horrible, but she was grateful for the “lucky break.” In reaction to this unexpected success, a new trial will test the miracle drug on six newly diagnosed patients, offering hope for glioblastoma treatment.
Such was shown when Dr. Paul Mulholland described the miraculous recovery. He said, “It is very unusual to have a clear scan with glioblastoma, especially when he didn’t have the follow-up surgery that had been planned to remove all of the tumor that was initially visible on scans.”
Offering more context, Mulholland added, “We felt we had a lucky break in an otherwise devastating situation.” Concluding his remarks, the oncologist suggested a hopeful diagnosis, saying, “We hope that the immunotherapy and follow-up treatment Ben has had will hold his tumor at bay — and it has so far, which we are delighted to see.”
Emily Trotman, the patient’s wife, spoke about the feeling of receiving such a devastating diagnosis, but thanked Dr. Mulholland for his innovative treatment. She explained, “Getting this diagnosis was the most traumatic experience — we were grappling with the fact that Ben had gone from being apparently perfectly healthy to having months to live. Had we not met Dr. Mulholland, that would have been it for us. We felt we had a lucky break in an otherwise devastating situation.”
Ben Trotman, the patient at the center of this story, described how the encouraging results had given him hope in an uncertain situation. Trotman recounted, “We obviously don’t know what the future holds, but having had the immunotherapy treatment and getting these encouraging scan results has given [us] a bit of hope. We are focused on rebuilding the life we thought we had lost and enjoying being parents.”
Explaining the new trial, which will test the revolutionary treatment on additional patients, Dr. Paul Mulholland said, “The crucial element of this trial is that patients will have their immune system boosted by the drug before they have any other treatment, when they are fit and well enough to tolerate the immunotherapy.” Trotman described how “It will give people newly diagnosed with glioblastoma some hope.”
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As we reported, Kari Lake blasted a woke congresswoman for heartlessly refusing to cheer for famous child cancer patient DJ Daniel during his address to Congress. Firing back after several egregious provocations, Lake blasted Rep. Jayapal (D-WA) by pointing out that she and her Democratic colleagues had refused to cheer for cancer survivor DJ Daniel. In her epic retort, she held up a picture of a group of House Democrats seated during Daniel’s address to Congress and said, “Would you agree that standing up and cheering for a cancer survivor would have been a nice thing to do?”