New Cell Therapy Treatment for Leukemia Receives FDA Approval

Dr. Mark Fesen serves as a medical oncologist at Central Care Cancer Center in Great Bend and Wichita, Kansas. Experienced in the treatment of all cancers, including leukemia, Dr. Mark Fesen has participated in a number of phase 2 clinical trials.

In February of 2018, the New England Journal of Medicine published the results of a global multi-center study that resulted in the first FDA approval of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy. This gene therapy approach uses white blood cells from the patient's body that have undergone genetic reengineering, so that they specifically target cancer cells. The therapy received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in August of 2017.

The recent phase 2 study took place at 25 clinical sites across 11 countries and featured the participation of 75 eligible patients between the ages of three and 21. All participants had relapsed or treatment-resistant B-cell ALL, and 61 percent had relapsed following the transplantation of donor hematopoietic stem cells. Although failure of this treatment has in the past signaled an overall failure of treatment and a prescription of hospice care, the new CAR-T treatment led to a remission rate of 81 percent over a period of three months.

The treatment resulted in a survival rate of 90 percent after six months and 76 percent after 12 months, while the relapse-free survival rate stood at 80 percent six months following treatment and 59 percent after a full year. 

Side effects included cytokine release syndrome (CRS), a condition that involves severe flu-like symptoms and often requires a stay in intensive care. This and other adverse effects did prove treatable and reversible, although the team is planning clinical trials in an effort to reduce the incidence of serious treatment-related symptoms.

The Development of Benign and Malignant Tumors

Dr. Mark Fesen serves as a medical oncologist at the offices of Central Care, PA in Great Bend and Wichita, Kansas. As part of his role, Dr. Mark Fesen draws on an in-depth knowledge of cancer biology to develop and implement treatment plans for patients.

Cancer cells are structurally and functionally different from normal cells. All healthy cells in the human body carry DNA that directs how they grow, what other cells they join with to form tissue, and when they stop growing and die off. A skin cell, for example, has a different set of instructional DNA than a cell on the heart wall, which is in turn different from a liver cell.

Sometimes, a cell's DNA becomes damaged. If so many of these cells develop such that the immune system cannot dispose of them, they begin to divide out of control and form growths known as tumors. Some tumors are benign, or non-cancerous, meaning that they grow slowly and do not spread to other areas of the body.

A benign tumor only poses a problem if it grows to the degree that it causes pain, interferes with normal body functions, or becomes large enough that it looks strange and thus affects the patient's self-esteem. Malignant tumors, however, are immediately dangerous due to the pace at which they grow.

The cells in a malignant tumor are able to generate new blood vessels that provide the tumor with oxygen and nutrients, thus enabling its own growth. Furthermore, because the tumor is now connected to the body's circulatory system, its cells can travel throughout the body and invade healthy tissue. When this happens, the cancer has metastasized and is much more difficult to eradicate.

Report Looks at Weight Loss and Its Impact on Breast Cancer

For more than five years, Dr. Mark Fesen has leveraged his more than 20 years of experience as a medical oncologist to serve patients at Central Care in Kansas. Active in several professional organizations, Dr. Mark Fesen is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research (ACR).

According to a recent ACR report, women who lose weight after undergoing menopause could potentially reduce their risk of getting breast cancer. The report comes from research that was unveiled at the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. According to Rowan Chlebowski, MD, PhD, one of the study authors, researchers sought to determine if there was any correlation between obesity and the risk of cancer in women.

As part of their research, the team looked at data from nearly 62,000 women who were tracked as part of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Observational Study, which keeps health-related records of women aged 50-79 who are postmenopausal. In looking at three years of data, Dr. Chlebowski says that the study reveals even a small amount of weight loss could have the potential to significantly reduce the chance of developing breast cancer in postmenopausal women.

Central Care Cancer Center Sponsors Policy Forum

A Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Dr. Mark Fesen is a medical oncologist. Assisting patients in all aspects of conquering cancer, he has written Surviving the Cancer System: An Empowering Guide to Taking Control of Your Care to support patients and their families in securing optimal care. Dr. Mark Fesen practices medicine at two Central Care Cancer Center locations in Kansas, one in Wichita, the other in Great Bend.

Recently, Central Care Cancer Center provided sponsorship for a policy forum that highlighted current cancer research initiatives and the costs of treating the disease. Hosted by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the meeting took place at Via Christi Hospital - St. Francis in Wichita and received sponsorship from additional organizations, including Merck and PhRMA, Pfizer, Janssen Oncology, and AmeriHealth Caritas.

According to ACS CAN, cancer patients across the United States paid almost $4 billion to cover out-of-pocket expenses in 2014. That same year, employers, insurance providers, and public health assistance plans such as Medicaid and Medicare paid an additional $87.8 billion to cover treatment-related expenses.

The Approach of the National Physicians' Council for Healthcare Policy

A medical oncologist with Central Care Cancer Center who practices in Great Bend and Wichita, Dr. Mark Fesen serves on a nationwide healthcare advisory committee, the National Physicians' Council for Healthcare Policy. He has been serving on that committee for nearly three years and is the vice chair of oncology for the council.

Dr. Marcy Zwelling-Aamot and Dr. John Gill founded the National Physicians' Council for Healthcare Policy in 2014 to enable physicians to speak out publicly about medical issues and government policies. The council also aims to support those in medicine to prevent burnout and early exit of the profession due to burdensome regulations and policies. Each year, it selects two or three specific areas in which to enhance the private practice of medicine and works with legislators and regulatory agencies to achieve specific goals that will improve healthcare in the United States. Further, the council advocates for patient-centric care to receive appropriate levels of funding.

For more information about the council and its efforts, visit www.npchcp.org.

The Causes and Symptoms of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

Great Bend and Wichita, Kansas, oncology practitioner Dr. Mark Fesen provides diagnosis and care to patients with many types of cancer. Among the areas in which Dr. Mark Fesen has extensive knowledge is chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

A cancer impacting the marrow, CLL typically progresses over many years and is different from many types of leukemia, primarily impacting adults as they age. The disease involves the degradation of lymphocytes, a white blood cell type that attacks infections. Through a genetic mutation, the lymphocytes lose their ability to fight infection and live longer than they otherwise would. This mutation causes them to accumulate in specific organs, which can result in complications. Additionally, they may multiply and take the place of healthy cells in the marrow, which then impacts regular blood cell production.

Symptoms are often absent during the early stages of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Symptoms experienced include enlarged but painless lymph nodes, fatigue, and an enlarged spleen, which causes pain in the upper abdomen. As the disease progresses, infections may become more common and immune system issues manifest.

Leukemia in the United States

An oncologist caring for patients in and around Wichita and Great Bend, Kansas, Dr. Mark Fesen underwent fellowship training in medical oncology through the National Cancer Institute. Leukemia is among the many cancers Dr. Mark Fesen treats. 

Leukemia is an umbrella term that encompasses cancers originating in blood cells, including the white and red blood cells and the platelets. For 2017, experts expect more than 62,000 Americans to receive a leukemia diagnosis. Presently, nearly 364,000 people in the United States live with leukemia or have had leukemia. 

In terms of frequency, leukemia ranks ninth in the country, just under kidney cancer and just above endometrial cancer. However, leukemia is more deadly than either endometrial or kidney cancer in that it’s expected to kill more than 24,000 patients in 2017. The other two cancers combined are expected to kill about that many Americans in the same year. 

Data indicates that though the rate of new leukemia cases has increased in the past decade, death rates have decreased and five-year survival rates have increased.