21 months ago: Idrees Danishpajooh, our amazing friend and colleague, a husband and a father, received a devastating diagnosis of GBM. They navigated a pandemic, several ups and unfortunately, now they are riding out a major down.

Anyone who knows Idrees knows that his heart is his biggest feature. As we rally around this family, we ask for donations to help ease at least one of their worries and allow them to focus on what is really important during this incredibly trying time.

From Anita: My family needs your help. It’s been 21 months since my husband was diagnosed with Glioblastoma and unfortunately it has recurred.

In September 2019, Idrees, a physician as well, had a new onset seizure which led us to find out he had glioblastoma. He had gross total resection at Duke which was performed by Dr. Allen Friedman. His tumor is methylated and IDH mutant. This was followed by 6 wks of radiation and Temodar. He was on the Performance peptide vaccine trial which is a vaccine administered monthly against CMV and also on several months of Temodar ( last dose during the trial 1/2021). He was doing amazingly with good response on scans until 4/2021 when he had a series of seizures and persistent mild left sided weakness. He had a new lucency on his scan which his Neuroncology team at Duke ( Dr. Henry Friedman) were concerned with tumor regrowth vs treatment necrosis. He had a biopsy on 5/27/2021 which unfortunately is consistent with recurrence. He was pulled from the clinical trial to start Avastin and daily Temodar. He had received 18/20 vaccinations.

There was some necrosis on biopsy but largely tumor regrowth and the team suspects that this new tumor has mutated to evade the effect of the vaccine.

Ki- 67 markedly elevated estimated over 40%

Olig-2 positive in a large subset of cells

We had hoped that despite this recurrence his 18/20 vaccines would have some residual effect, but the team feel that this is unlikely.

During the course of the trial, he had areas on scans that lit up but then show signs of effect immunotherapy without symptoms. However, because now that he has proven recurrence, this complicates things and is considered multi focal disease.

We were told that there are no trials at Duke that would work for him at this time. Additionally, surgical resection is not likely at this time. We will follow up with the team in August but were told that there is a risk for leptomeningeal spread as areas of lucency on MRI are near the ventricle.

I met Idrees when I was 24 years old and we have each other’s everything for the last 14 years. Our kids Kiran and Keshav are 4 & 2. This cannot be it. Please don’t let this be it.

I am looking for clinical trials, treatments, neurosurgical opinions, and honestly anything that will keep him here. He is truly the love of my life. 21 months ago this group saved me- pls help us. No suggestion is too small.

My boys deserve to have this wonderful human as a father.