Frank Gilmore Frank's Supporters

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to keep family and friends updated in one place.
As you know Frank was first diagnosed with diffuse, large B-cell, non-Hodgkin lymphoma in July 2010.  After chemotherapy Frank enjoyed being cancer free until his first relapse in August 2016.  After chemotherapy in Helena Montana with Dr. Weiner  he was in a short remission. In January 2017 Frank had his second relapse.  Under the care of Dr. Martin at West Clinic in Memphis Tennessee Frank had chemotherapy and radiation and again was in remission from April until December 11, 2017 when he was found to have relapsed again.   Dr. Martin referred Frank to Mass General Hospital-MGH for CAR-T therapy.  Frank was seen December 27th by Dr. Barnes here at MGH.  Frank is now beginning a CAR-T therapy clinical trial JCAR017 at Mass General as of this week.
The CAR-T immunotherapy uses the patients own cells to knock out the cancer and was only recently approved by FDA for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  Frank begins tomorrow when T-Cells will be removed from him.  His T-Cells will be sent to Juno the company that will take his T-Cells and will genetically modify them to carry chimeric antigen receptors(CARs) so they will attack the lymphoma as an anti-body attacks foreign cells.   Frank's CAR-T cells will  be re-infused into him  around February 22nd.  At the time of re-infusion Frank will be in the hospital at least one week.  The other care is outpatient.   The positive outcome for CAR-T therapy is very high. 
 We have been from Oxford to Boston 4 times now. This Tuesday, the  23rd  we settled into our rented  furnished apartment just 4 blocks from the hospital. We will be here in Boston  at The Towers at Longfellow until Frank is released to go back to Oxford probably in late March or early April. 
Our children, Kristin and Paul or I will share updates on Caring Bridge.   We would prefer to be reaching out to you individually but hope you will understand that with what is happening with Frank and his lymphoma Caring Bridge gives us a way we can share with you in a timely way.
Thank each of you for your caring thoughts, words, and prayers. Your support means so very much to Frank and me. Ann