Twelve years after a terminal prognosis, Maui attorney gives others hope

Maui resident Jamil Newirth was just 32 years old when he was given a terminal brain cancer diagnosis. He was told he had about 17 months to live.

That was 12 years ago.

Newirth, now 44, beat the odds thanks to a novel cancer vaccine developed by UCLA neurosurgeon Dr. Linda Liau. And now, he's doing everything in his power to support cutting-edge cancer research and provide extra support to individuals going through cancer treatment.

Later this month, he is hosting a fundraiser that will bring together a community of people committed to providing hope to those battling cancer.

"I benefited immensely from community support and peer-led fundraisers when I was going through treatment and I want to make sure everybody gets that support when they need it the most," Newirth said.

A devastating diagnosis

In 2012, Newirth had just graduated from the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law and started the rigorous process of preparing for the bar exam. It was during this time that he started having severe headaches and ended up in the emergency room multiple times. Doctors kept attributing it to stress from studying.

Along with the headaches, Newirth started experiencing nausea, vomiting and loss of feeling on part of his left side. He finally got an MRI, which revealed a large brain tumor. The diagnosis was glioblastoma, the most aggressive and lethal form of brain cancer.

The average lifespan for someone with this type of tumor is often measured in months, and less than 5% of people with glioblastoma live longer than five years. There are limited treatment options and there is a high probability that the tumor will come back after initial treatment.

The prognosis for Newirth was grim.

"I wasn't really given any hope when I was diagnosed," Newirth said.

However, he did not let that stop him from persevering.

A lifesaving immunotherapy clinical trial

Newirth immediately began looking for the best neurosurgeon in the country. That search led him to Liau, who is the chair of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and director of the UCLA Brain Tumor Program.

Liau, who is also an investigator in the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, was enrolling patients with glioblastoma into a clinical trial testing a personalized vaccine that uses a person's own white blood cells to help activate the immune system to fight cancer.

The vaccine, initially developed at UCLA, works by combining brain tumor protein antigens derived from surgically removed tumors with antigen-presenting immune cells, or dendritic cells, generated from the patient's own blood. The dendritic cells train the immune system to recognize the tumor antigens so that when they are injected back into the patient, the immune system can recognize and attack tumor cells.

Along with traditional treatment - surgery, chemotherapy and radiation - Newirth knew he would need something else to give him a fighting chance.

After speaking with Liau, he immediately enrolled in the clinical trial.

"Dr. Liau is confident, caring and does everything with a personal touch," Newirth said. "She even flew back early from her vacation to start my treatment. You can tell she just really cares."

During treatment, Newirth continued to study for the bar exam - and passed. Today, he's a practicing attorney in Maui and credits Liau's innovative research for saving his life and the lives of countless others who had a positive response from the immunotherapy.

"Glioblastoma is such a devastating diagnosis, and standard chemotherapy and radiation are just not enough," Liau said. "Patients like Jamil are such an inspiration to me and my team. He and other patients like him are what inspires me to go to work each day and to maintain hope that immunotherapy could potentially lead to a cure for brain cancer someday."

Raising awareness and hope

Since the end of his treatment, Newirth has decided to give back to others in his home state who are also undergoing cancer treatments.

"When I first met Jamil, he told me if he reached the five-year point, he would start a foundation to help other patients with cancer in Hawaii," Liau said.

And he did just that.

Newirth started the nonprofit organization UVSC (Us Versus Cancer), which provides patients in Hawaii with resources and support to get the cancer care they need to live on.

This month, UVSC is holding a fundraising event called "Catalyst for Hope" to raise funds for individuals fighting cancer and to provide support for the cutting-edge cancer research Liau and her team are doing.

"My hope is we can help people in our community who are struggling with cancer with financial resources to help get them access to the best clinical trials these individuals need to keep fighting," Newirth said.

Take the next step

Learn more about Cancer Services and the Brain Tumor Program at UCLA Health.

Tags: research | cancer | health