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Stage 4 Cancer

Stage 4, Stage IV metastatic cancer

“Metastases cancer” or stage 4 cancer, is the medical term for describing a condition where a tumor originating in a certain organ, “primary tumor”, is identified in another organ or in a distant location from the original organ, e.g., metastases of breast cancer can be found in the lungs, brain, bones and liver.

It is important to note, metastases are the same type of the original primary tumor, even if its location is in distant organs and so are the treatments regarded as such, for example, a treatment for a metastatic lung cancer that has spread to the liver, is determined by the treatment for metastatic lung cancer and not by the treatment for liver cancer.

Metastases formation

Cancer cells of the primary tumor can be released into the bloodstream and lymphatic system and circulate to distant organs or adjacent organs and tissues to the primary tumor and “settle” in them and grow.

There are different types of cancer which is known where metastases can be formed, for example,

  • Breast cancer can spread to the bones, brain, liver and lungs
  • Lung cancer can spread to the brain, bones, liver and kidney
  • Prostate cancer can spread to the bones
  • Colon cancer, rectal cancer, colorectal cancer can spread to the liver and lungs
Breast cancer can spread to the bones, brain, liver and lungs
Breast cancer can spread to the bones, brain, liver and lungs

Stage IV metastatic cancer and recovery

In the vast majority of the metastatic cases, the treatments do not cure. Treatment goals are slowing tumor growth rate, prolonging life and reducing the symptoms of the disease, improving the quality of life of the patient.

The efficacy of the treatments is affected by many factors, among them are the type of cancer, number of metastases (also called “lesions”) and their location, how much cancer the patient has in his or her body, growth rate of the tumor lesions, medical history of the patient, background diseases, microenvironment between the tumor cells themselves, resistance the tumor has developed to previous treatments and other.

Advanced treatments and clinical trials for stage 4

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) highlights the fact that for a certain group of metastatic cancer patients, the best treatment option is to join one of the many clinical trials existing worldwide aiming to increase their chances of therapeutic success.

This is also recommended by the USA national comprehensive cancer network, NCCN,  (USA national comprehensive cancer network)

“Patients with cancer should be encouraged to participate in clinical trials during all aspects of their diagnosis and treatment”

Currently, every patient will be offered the standard protocols described above. Sometimes the oncologist may suggest integrating these therapies with trials carried out in the Institute.

Advances in cancer therapies may be found in clinical trials prescribing cutting edge, interesting drugs, some of which have already been recognized by the FDA (US Food & Drug Administration) as “breakthrough treatments” and require further information input before being finally and fully approved.

An entire world of clinical trials and compassionate drugs and treatments are open and available worldwide. It is important to know which cutting edge treatments exist which patients can gain far more from them than the standard care offered.

For most patients with stage 4 metastatic cancer, current treatments are insufficiently effective. This gives rise to the need for innovative strategies with greater efficacy in fighting the disease.

Read our publications on innovative treatments for stage 4 metastatic cancer:

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We support access to and expand cancer treatments beyond the standard of care, with the most advanced and innovative treatment options in the world, personally matching the individual cancer patient’s medical condition and with the support of top tier oncologists.

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Drug from abroad for Glioblastoma, GBM, patients

A drug called Apatinib® (Rivoceranib), is approved in China, South Korea and Europe for gastric cancer but not for GBM.

Why is it related to GBM?

On February 14, 2017, 2 cases of brain tumor patients treated with this drug, taken orally, were reported in the literature.

One case is of a 37-year-old patient with high-grade glioma during her second recurrence of the disease failed on Temodar ®, radiation, Avastin® and more. The second case reported was of a 40-year-old man diagnosed with GBM and his condition worsened and progressed after undergoing repeated surgery, radiation and Temodar®. Both started treatment with Apatinib®.

The standard protocol for GBM patients includes surgery (if the patient can be operated), radiotherapy and Temodar®. The radiation therapy is administered under a regime called “Stupp regimen”. Just to remark – Temodar® is a well-known drug since 1999 and the “Stupp regimen” has been in place since 2005 and since then, is the standard treatment.

And the patients?

They continue to agree to accept it despite its disappointing efficacy expressed in the severity or recurrence of the disease in almost 100% of cases.

So yes, in 2019, there are more innovative and advanced treatments and not only that – we also help connect GBM patients to those treatments. That’s our specialty.

And the results?

The first patient reported, achieved complete regression (!) of the disease according to MRI thanks to the treatment of Apatinib®, which lasted some time and the second patient treated with this drug, responded to treatment in such a way that his disease is small and did not progress for 12 months!! Remember, these are two patients in advanced disease condition.

These results indicate that Apatinib® has an efficacy potential previously not observed in GBM.

How to access?

Today, Apatinib is already in Phase II clinical trials in China and the point is that we may be able to get her to suitable patients, of course, as a compassionate drug. In such a case, the drug company may agree to send the drug to other countries and then the patient will receive it for free at the medical center where it is being treated.

The second way is to try to buy it ‘off-label’ with a prescription from the attending oncologist. In this case, it is likely that the oncologist will not really want to cooperate and sign the documents because you know … The medical world is conservative and therefore you need to push.

You don’t have to be alone in this process. You should not be alone.

To read more

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28243119

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Improving therapeutic success, extending life and quality of life are our main business. We extend to metastatic cancer patients and patients with brain tumors, the most advanced treatment options in the world and the best experts in Israel and abroad.

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