An agonising balance: hope, urgency and new treatments for childhood brain cancer
Today, ABC News shared the story of 16-year-old Coby Metzler and his family's determined search for treatment options as he faces an aggressive brain cancer diagnosis.
Coby's family is hoping he may be able to access a new personalised mRNA vaccine being developed for children with aggressive brain tumours. The world-first PaedNeoVax clinical trial is due to begin in Australia, but the family fears Coby may not be eligible to participate because of the time required to manufacture the personalised vaccine and the trial's eligibility criteria.
It's a heartbreaking situation that highlights both the urgent need for better treatments for children with brain cancer and the complexity involved in bringing promising new therapies safely from the laboratory to patients.
The RCD Foundation has invested in the early research that helped inform the design and development of the personalised mRNA vaccine and continues to support research aimed at improving outcomes for children with brain cancer.
Speaking to ABC News, RCD Foundation CEO and Founder Liz Dawes OAM reflected on the situation from the perspective of both a mother who has lost a child to brain cancer and a Foundation that works closely with researchers and clinicians to advance new treatments.
“I deeply empathise with the Metzler family's search for options. Every parent in this position is acting out of pure love,” Liz said.
She described the challenge of balancing the need to get new treatments to children faster with the responsibility to ensure experimental treatments can be delivered safely.
For families facing brain cancer, there are no easy answers. What remains clear is the urgent need to continue investing in research and clinical trials so that more effective treatment options can reach children who desperately need them.
Pictured: the Metzler family.
