The University of Kansas Health System is treating a total of 18 COVID patients today, 17 Friday. Other significant numbers:
• 8 with the active virus today, 7 Friday
• 1 in ICU, 1 Friday
• 1 on a ventilator, 1 Friday
Key points from today’s guests:
Darren McLaughlin, received CAR-T Therapy at The University of Kansas Cancer Center
- Darren had severe back pain that was so painful in 2019 that he was taken to the ER at another hospital.
- He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and was provided rounds of chemotherapy before his doctors at that hospital told them there was nothing else they could do for him.
- He was referred to Dr. Joseph McGuirk at The University of Kansas Cancer Center because of the specialization in cancer care.
- Darren is now in complete remission.
- He encourages others to trust the doctors but advocate for yourself.
Dr. Joseph McGuirk, hematologist & medical oncologist; director of hematologic malignancies and cellular therapies, The University of Kansas Cancer Center
- Once patients receive chemotherapy and do not respond, they are in a boatload of trouble. Darren was not in good shape when he arrived, so they knew that had to treat him quickly.
- Based on results from a new treatment called CAR-T Therapy, they thought this was the right treatment for Darren.
- Those T cells are taken out, taken to a lab, and genetically re-engineered to recognize the cancer. They are expanded into a billion cells and infused like a blood transfusion into the patient.
- They sweep around the body, identify cancer cells, attach to them and punch holes in them to release molecules that go in and chop of chromosomes within the cell.
- This demonstrates unprecedented responses and complete remissions. More details about this will be published soon in the New England Journal of Medicine, with a manuscript co-authored here.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director, infection prevention & control, The University of Kansas Health System
- A study published by JAMA shows that if kids got vaccinated for COVID at the same level they got the flu vaccine last winter, we could have prevented more than five million days of school absences.
- We are waiting on the recommendations for vaccines for the fall/winter.
- The CDC and the advisory group will be meeting soon to discuss this.
- It is not only important to increase intake for COVID vaccines, but for childhood vaccines in general.
Wednesday, June 7 at 8 a.m. is the next Open Mics with Dr. Stites. On the next “Show Me the Science”, we’ll dive into an unusual form of chemotherapy where drugs are administered through the belly.
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