I think one problem is defining what early and late are, especially if the cancer rarely produces problems until it's well advanced. I suspect it's really rare to find the tumor when it's tiny, but I'd think your chances would be the best if that's when it's discovered. With such a tumor even if DCVax-L were applied late I'd suspect the result can be better than say a massive tumor that was removed with treatment with DCVax-L almost immediately.
Surely I believe that those who received DCVax-L initially, rather than after progressing on the SOC should do better when essentially the two are identical on discovery. The thing is, people are not identical. Some people might be cured even if the tumor were found late, whereas others won't be, even if it was discovered early.
I do think the Dr. doing the treatment can make a big difference, even though all the Doctors have access to all the same tools. I met people my age and older at City of Hope that excellent hospitals elsewhere would not treat with stem cells. Why? Because they knew the risk was greater, and they don't want to harm themselves statistically. Meanwhile COH gets excellent results with seniors because they do it frequently, and they know how to make it work. Dr. Liau certainly seems like someone you'd want on your team if confronted with GBM, and I'd trust her judgement in what course of action to take. I also suspect that under right to try, she'd have access to DCVax-L even if no trials were currently taking in patients.
In the future I suspect that many cancers will be identified very early because of blood tests that are in development. If a cancer can be detected in the blood before a mass can be found, perhaps DCVax-Direct can be created and given and the cancer treated far earlier than any symptoms would be seen to cause a search for it. I was found to have a mass in the kidneys after the removal of a skin cancer, sebaceous carcinoma, which was considered dangerous enough to do a scan of my body after it's removal by Mohs surgery. The mass was determine to be cancerous, but that was after four levels of experts checked it, alternating between benign and cancerous as it went higher through the chain. My point is that it might not have proved to be a problem for years, but when it was, it almost definitely would have cost me the kidney. As it was, because of where it was it was touch and go as to whether they could save the kidney, but in the end they were able to. I certainly can't say I was lucky, but I have had 3 potentially deadly cancer in my life that have been successfully treated to date that don't count less threatening skin cancers that were more easily dealt with.
I also suspect are bodies might routinely eliminate minor cancers before they become a problem. Early detection may find some of these, so we may end up treating cancers that would never be a problem without treatment. The problem is, it's impossible to know what will and what won't become a problem. I know in some cases where the seniors are found with prostate cancer it's monitored and only treated if it's deemed to be a threat as it may be so slow growing that old age will likely take the patient before the prostate cancer becomes a problem.
Gary
