Doctors are hailing a major advancement in the battle against leukemia and other blood cancers. There are reported of unprecedented success against these diseases by using gene therapy to transform the blood cells of patients into cancer-killing soldier cells, according to the Associated Press.
Patients with a specific type of leukemia were given the gene therapy several years ago with great results. In fact, some of those patients remain cancer-free today. So far, at least six research groups have treated more than 120 patients with many types of blood cancers and bone marrow cancers with positive outcomes.
Some doctors claim this new gene therapy could become the first gene therapy approved in the United States and the first for cancer worldwide.
This is very exciting news indeed. I hope this gene therapy continues to gain recognition and becomes a treatment option for thousands of patients who are struggling with leukemia, myeloma, lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and other terrible cancers.
My personal injury law firm has had the privilege to represent numerous railroad workers who were exposed to awful chemicals and toxic fumes while working for big railroad companies like Norfolk Southern, CSX, etc. and are now battling with leukemia and other cancers. It’s heartbreaking to meet someone who spent their entire career working for a railroad, then, during their “golden years” of retirement are confronted with a life-threatening cancer diagnosis.
Hopefully this new gene therapy with provide a glimmer of hope to cancer patients in the United States, and across the globe.
Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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