Mike Gibby is attuned to the signals his body sends about his health. A longtime runner, he has always been able to gauge the state of his health by his running speed. Two years ago, on a ski trip to Utah, he found his daily runs on a high school track were slowing down. “What should have been a nine-minute mile took twelve minutes,” remembers Mike.
Concerned, he made an appointment with his primary care provider when he returned home to McLean, Virginia. Neither that doctor nor a pulmonologist he was referred to could find a reason for his symptoms.
A few months later, he experienced intestinal pain. When the usual tests didn’t uncover any reason for the pain, he underwent a CT scan and discovered that he had lymphoma. A biopsy found that the cancer was diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), an aggressive blood cancer.
After carefully reviewing the online biographies of oncologists in the region specializing in the treatment of DLBCL, Mike chose Kieron Dunleavy, MD, to treat his cancer. Dr. Dunleavy is a medical oncologist and hematologist who serves as section chief, Hematology, and disease group lead, Malignant Hematology, for MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. After six chemotherapy treatments, a PET scan found that Mike’s cancer wasn’t responding well to the treatment, so Dr. Dunleavy referred him to Alaa Ali, MD, a physician in the Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy program at MedStar Georgetown.
The program is the only adult, full-service center in the Washington, D.C., region for autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation and CAR T-cell immunotherapy that is accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT).
Transforming cancer treatment
“CAR T-cell therapy has transformed the treatment of a variety of blood cancers,” explains Dr. Ali. “It offers another treatment path for patients like Mike whose cancer has not responded to first-line treatments. CAR T-cell immunotherapy and stem cell transplant have the potential to cure a significant percentage of blood cancer patients who, without these leading-edge interventions, would not survive their disease. In fact, based on recent published studies, CAR T-cell immunotherapy is now the standard of care as a second-line treatment for patients with the type of cancer Mike was diagnosed with.”
The first step in Mike’s treatment was gathering immune cells from his blood. Next, the T cells (white blood cells that are part of the body’s immune system) were separated out in the lab, genetically altered so they could “see” and kill cancer cells, and multiplied. After Mike underwent low-dose chemotherapy to make space in his immune system for the altered T cells, those cells were infused into his blood, where they will continue to kill cancer cells for years.
“MedStar Georgetown, Dr. Ali, and his team were the right choice,” Mike says. “The team is exceptionally experienced with CAR T-cell therapy and also provided complete support throughout the process, even helping with an issue with my insurance company.
“I’m a scientist by training, and I liked that Dr. Ali shared clinical studies with me while I was making my decision about this treatment. He answered all my questions and is an expert in the field, which helped me feel confident in my decision,” Mike adds.
An expert team, compassionate care
The MedStar Georgetown program provides not only pioneering treatments but also comprehensive holistic support for patients and families to help them navigate the treatment and survival journey. The team includes expert physicians, a dedicated social worker, in- and outpatient nurse practitioners, nutritionists, financial and insurance coordinators, palliative care, rehabilitation treatment, and pretreatment coordinators.
Mike is feeling good and is back to working out and taking 10-mile walks on the weekend. He and his wife recently took a trip to Spain, where they hiked in Majorca and Madrid, and he took his sons hiking in the Alps this summer.
“I strongly recommend the MedStar Georgetown Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Immunotherapy team. Every person I encountered was fantastic, and I’m thankful for the care they provided.”