A KFMC Saudi team succeeded in using a modern autoimmune treatment for fourth grade brain tumor "Glioblastoma" for a five-year-old Saudi girl after traditional treatment methods such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy failed, without any noticeable complications with the autoimmune treatment.
Dr. Musa Al-Harbi, Director of KFMC Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Principal Investigator who Supervise the case, described the child's case as a rare one; it is the second registered case in the world and the first registered case in the Arab world and Middle East using the autoimmune treatment for a child suffering from Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency (CMMRD) . He asserted that the case is currently stable along with the daily follow up at the Comprehensive Cancer Center.
"This study paves the way to perform clinical experiments and open clinics for CMMRD cases in KFMC to serve those patients and their relatives in cooperation with Genomics Research Department. The object is to develop CMMRD examination national program for early intervention, which is considered the first of its kind in the region. Further, this study was accepted in The Oncologist Magazine at the personalized medicine section and being appreciated by the research reviewers and has been accepted in many USA international conferences, as the latest of these conferences was the International Conference on Children's Nervous System Tumors." Dr. Al-Harbi stated.
On the other hand, Dr. Malak Al Thagafi, Genomics Research Department Chairperson, asserted that in cooperation with the medical team, the genes of the child and her family were examined and the examination proved that all of them suffering from CMMRD that may be common in KSA among the children with such type of tumors due to frequent relative marriage. "We are currently examining this syndrome in the Saudi Genomics Project supported by KFMC for one thousand patients suffering from CMMRD and their families under an integrated research and medical work system." Dr. Al Thagafi indicated.
Dr. Al Thagafi indicated that: "Upon considering the brain tumor cases during the last eight years in KFMC, we found that about 20% of children are suffering from this syndrome with brain tumors of fourth and third degrees. These treatments are considered a real application of personalized medicine principle as the patient is treated according to his/her gene mapping performed by a few advanced centers around the world."
It is worth mentioning that KFMC recently joined the global system of this syndrome to work along with many countries on developing work policies and assisting people with this syndrome.