Engineer's Brain Tumor Shrinks in Six Weeks with New Treatment

Paul Read, a 62-year-old engineer from the UK, had a surprising turn of events in his fight against brain cancer. Diagnosed with glioblastoma in December 2023, he was given a grim prognosis — most patients don't live beyond 18 months. But Paul's story took an unexpected twist. At University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), doctors tried a new approach. They removed as much of his tumor as possible and inserted a tiny device called an Ommaya reservoir under his scalp. Every week for six weeks, doctors injected low levels of radioactivity directly into the tumor. The goal? Kill cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. The results were astonishing. After six weeks, Paul's brain scans showed a 50% reduction in tumor size. Dr. Paul Mulholland, the trial's chief investigator, was thrilled. "This is remarkable, " he said. "The tumor is very aggressive, yet it shrank significantly. " Paul felt a bit more tired, but no other side effects were reported. This trial, called CITADEL-123, is a lifeline to patients like Paul. Before the trial, he had undergone surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, but the tumor kept growing. Paul's positive response gives hope to others. "I'm really happy if this helps me, and if not, maybe it will help someone else, " he said. The medical team is now treating a second patient and plans to include up to 40 patients in phase 1 of the trial.