Leroy Brown’s Story: ‘God and My Medical Team Kept Me Strong’

Leroy Brown is a man of faith.

But his faith was sorely tested when, at age 38, his doctors diagnosed a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system.

“Even before I heard my test results,” Brown said, “I knew it was cancer. If this was God’s plan for me, then with God’s help and the support of my family, I was ready.”

But the path to recovery took longer than Brown initially thought. Despite multiple cycles of chemotherapy followed by a bone marrow stem cell transplant, the cancer continued to return.

By 2022, the cancer had transformed into a more aggressive blood cell cancer called High-Grade B-Cell Lymphoma, which ruthlessly targeted his body’s natural defenses.

That’s when his doctors at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute proposed a new course.

Brown qualified for CAR T-cell therapy, a new treatment designed to boost his body’s natural defenders to fight back against his cancer.

Now, after a year in remission, Brown’s cancer may have met its match.

“Due to the refractory nature of Leroy’s cancer, we determined that CAR T-cell therapy would be his best treatment option,” said hematologist/oncologist. Khadega AbuelgasimMD “Leroy’s physical condition and his strong faith and determination to overcome his disease made him a good candidate for this promising new treatment.”

Chimeric antigen, or CAR T-cell therapy, is only offered in Delaware at ChristianaCare.

The program is one of a few select centers in our region recognized for quality by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy and certified to treat adult patients with B-cell lymphomas using FDA-approved CAR-T -cell therapy. The treatment is also approved for the treatment of leukemia in children and young adults under 25 years of age.

CAR T cell therapy is a highly personalized form of cancer medicine. In preparation for the treatment, Brown’s own disease-fighting white blood cells, including T cells, were filtered from his bloodstream and sent to the laboratory for reprogramming.

Brown then received an infusion of these modified T cells, similar to a blood transfusion.

The lab genetically modified its T cells to develop new surface tools to improve their ability to recognize, hold and destroy other cells, including cancer cells. Specifically, his T cells were trained to target a type of protein on the B cell surface.

Because the reprogrammed T cells continue to multiply in the body after treatment, CAR T cell therapy is considered a “living drug” that can continue to fight cancer indefinitely.

“Our patients benefit from life-saving stem cell transplants without having to travel far from home.” – Khadega Abuelgasim, MD

The ChristianaCare Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant Program offers the latest personalized and targeted cellular therapies that are changing treatment practices for blood disorders such as leukemia and lymphoma, as well as hereditary diseases such as sickle cell anemia.

“Our patients benefit from the latest FDA-approved medications and life-saving stem cell transplants without having to travel far from home to receive treatment,” said Abuelgasim.

click here for more information about expert cancer treatment at ChristianaCare.

Although most CAR T cell therapy patients do not experience the side effects normally associated with chemotherapy, such as nausea, vomiting or hair loss, CAR T cell therapy is not without risks. A common side effect, which Brown also experienced, is cytokine release syndrome. This is an inflammatory condition that causes flu-like symptoms that can be mild or severe.

The transplant team responded quickly to manage Brown’s symptoms while he received expert care at Christiana Hospital’s Bone Marrow Transplant and Oncology Unit.

“For a while I didn’t think I could handle another round of therapy, but God and my medical team kept me strong,” Brown said. “I trusted them. They believe in their medicine, and I believe in them.”