The latest news:

• Novocure’s Optune® Now Available at 500 Cancer Treatment Centers in the U.S.         That is amazing, as doctors have to take a course to get certified in the use of Optune. This means that practically every major brain tumor center in the USA can offer Optune to their patients.    There was a 70 percent increase in the survival rate at 4 years for newly diagnosed GBM patients, and Optune is now considered the standard of care for newly diagnosed gbms!
  



• Musella Foundation Copayment Assistance Program is now closed to new patients        

  We  are officially closed to new patients, but if you need assistance - send in the application anyway by tomorrow (Friday 1/20/17).  We have a few pending applications waiting for more info. If they are not approved, we will be able to process a few more. I can't promise they will get funded - but I will try my best.

     

  Amazing how many people need help. I feel bad that we can't help them all.
  




• New Study Aims to Extend TTFields Beyond Grade IV Brain Cancer Domain         It would make sense to use Optune with grade 3 brain tumors - would be nice to see the proof. Good luck with the trial!
  



• Glioblastoma Treatment Breakthrough: 'Untreatable' Brain Cancer Tumor Stabilized With Malaria Drug         Chloroquine is a cheap drug approved for treatment of Malaria, and is now being tested against many types of cancer.  This article talks about success with 3 patients, and all 3 benefitted.   In our brain tumor virtual trial registry, we have 8 patients who tried it.  5 out of the 8 lived over 2 years, and 3 went on to become long term survivors.  Note that they also took many other treatments besides Chloroquine, so it is impossible for us to tell if it was due to the Chloroquine, but it may be worth looking at closely
  



• Agenus announces collaboration with the National Cancer Institute to evaluate the combination of Pembrolizumab (Keytruda®, Merck & Co., Inc.) with Prophage™ (Agenus Inc.) autologous vaccine         This is an exciting trial. I love the combination. Hope it works!
  

BrainTumor Co-Payment Assistance Program Status:

• CLOSED to new applicants