UCLA Journal of Radiation Oncology Fall and Winter 2022 - Flipbook - Page 15
UCLA RADIATION ONCOLOGY JOURNAL
Colorectal cancer is the fifth most common
cancer in men and women.
on standard immunotherapy," Dr. Anand says.
“At that point, having exhausted chemotherapy
options and immunotherapy options, there was
no choice but to look for a trial that would fit his
tumor molecular profile,” Dr. Anand says.
Regular screening, beginning at age 45, is the key
to catching colorectal cancer early.
“We have some theories but nobody really knows
why — we’re seeing an increasing number of
younger patients with colorectal cancer, so
it’s extremely important for everyone to get
screened, at least at age 45, and potentially
earlier for patients with a family history or
certain high-risk genetics,” says Sidharth Anand,
MD, MBA, assistant professor and head of quality
improvement for the Division of HematologyOncology, Department of Medicine at the David
Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
That trial proved to be the turning point for
Barajas.
Getting His Life Back
Barajas is in the third year of a clinical trial
to evaluate an experimental immunotherapy
combination that was developed to assist in the
destruction of cancer cells.
“The treatment looks at a different type of
immunotherapy combination that works
slightly differently to keep the tumor at bay,” Dr.
Anand explains. He notes that it’s been working
effectively for Barajas for nearly three years.
"In addition to unexplained weight loss, signs of
colorectal cancer can include abdominal pain,
bloating, bloody stool (bright red blood or dark),
and change in stool caliber," Dr. Anand says.
Barajas says he feels good and is relieved to be
off chemotherapy treatments.
When Barajas reached out to Dr. Lin after his
stage 4 diagnosis, she referred him to Dr. Anand,
who met with Barajas and his wife to explain
treatment options.
“They have my cancer under control, which is a
beautiful thing,” he says, adding that undergoing
chemotherapy for a year was mentally, physically
and emotionally draining. “Ever since I started
doing the trial, I’m able to work my 40 or 50
hours, come home and still spend time with the
kids. It’s letting me live my life. I do have my days
once in a while, but very rarely. Doing this is a
blessing.”
“From the day I met him, he put my wife, Gladys,
and me in a great place,” Barajas recalls. “He
took the time to sit down with us, and he was
very upfront. It’s not just about a doctor and
patient relationship — he actually cares. I can ask
him questions and he answers me, and I feel so
comfortable with him.”
“I think it’s pretty remarkable that he’s had such
a great response on a clinical trial with this new
immunotherapy target,” says Dr. Anand, who is
part of the gastrointestinal cancer research team
at UCLA Health, which includes J. Randolph
Hecht, MD, and Zev A. Wainberg, MD, both
members of the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive
Cancer Center.
"If there is a bright side to Barajas’ cancer, it’s
that his tumor is microsatellite unstable," Dr.
Anand says. That means the tumor can possibly
respond to immunotherapy, a treatment that
harnesses the patient’s immune system to fight
the cancer.
"Barajas had been started on a combination
immunotherapy and had a few months of
response, but his disease ended up progressing
“We try to see a majority of our complex GI
cases and identify trials here or at other places
15
