BREAKTHROUGH: Stage 4 Colon Cancer Patient Survives

IT’S ABOUT TIME

“We are so advanced as a nation. No person should be dying of cancer.” — DML

Emma Dimery’s Battle 
Emma Dimery, a 23-year-old Minnesotan, faced a grim stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis in 2013. After abdominal pain and abnormal blood work, a colonoscopy revealed a softball-sized tumor and another golf ball-sized mass. Despite surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy, her treatment-resistant cancer spread, leaving her at a “low point” with no options. Told her condition was incurable, Dimery endured years of grueling treatments, treading water with biweekly immunotherapy. Her youth and determination kept her fighting, but the aggressive cancer’s spread threatened her life until a last-resort clinical trial offered hope.

The Breakthrough Trial 
In 2022, Emma Dimery enrolled in a groundbreaking clinical trial at the University of Minnesota, led by Dr. Emil Lou. The trial, involving 12 patients, tested an experimental immunotherapy using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to target cancer cells’ interiors, unlike conventional immunotherapies that focus on external cell targets. Dr. Lou explained that cancer cells often shield themselves from the immune system, but this approach used “genetic scissors” to modify immune cells, programming them for a more effective anti-tumor response. Immune cells were extracted from participants, engineered in a lab to specifically attack Dimery’s cancer, and reintroduced via infusion.

The process was arduous, with Dimery experiencing challenging side effects, but the results were astonishing. After just one infusion, her cancer vanished, achieving a “clinical complete response” – a rare outcome seen in less than 10% of advanced colorectal cancer patients. Dr. Lou called her response “remarkable,” noting that advanced stage 4 colorectal cancers are typically incurable, with treatments like chemotherapy being palliative. Dimery’s genetic profile, identified through testing, matched the trial’s requirements, making her an ideal candidate. The trial’s success eliminated all evidence of her decade-long cancer battle, leaving her cancer-free two years later. While Dimery had the best outcome among participants, the trial highlights the potential of personalized, gene-edited immunotherapy to transform cancer treatment, offering hope for future cures in cases previously deemed hopeless.

The Cancer Problem
Colorectal cancer is rising sharply in teens and young adults, with 1 in 10 diagnoses in 2023 being early-onset (under 50). The American College of Surgeons predicts these cases will double by 2030. Screening tools like colonoscopies, blood-based, and stool-based tests are critical, with recommendations now starting at age 45. Dr. Emil Lou notes alarming stage 4 diagnoses in younger patients, often without clear symptoms. Genetic testing can identify trial eligibility. Awareness and early screening are vital to combat this trend, ensuring timely intervention for better outcomes. 

My COLONOSCOPY
On May 22, I am having a colonoscopy and I will take you on the journey with me including the prep and recovery.

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