Laura Kennedy (centre) with Dr. Arjun Sahgal, chief of Radiation Oncology and director of Sunnybrook’s Cancer Ablation Program, and Laura’s mother Nuala Kennedy.Supplied
One of the first seven patients in the world receives cancer ablation therapy at Sunnybrook’s Odette Cancer Centre
After multiple rounds of chemotherapy, three neurosurgeries and a proton radiation treatment, the news that the tumour in her brain was still growing was not what Laura Kennedy was hoping to hear.
“It was a grim situation,” reflects Ms. Laura, who was 30 years old at the time and treating patients of her own as a psychiatrist in the Early Psychosis Unit at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
Specialists at other hospitals in Canada and the U.S. told Ms. Laura she was running out of options.
Then everything changed.
Dr. Sahgal felt he could extend my life and do it safely by taking advantage of the unique attributions of the Gamma Knife Icon, despite my previous radiation treatment. Sunnybrook gave me hope when there was none.
— Laura Kennedy
A new precision treatment
Ms. Laura was referred to Sunnybrook, and she vividly remembers the moment she met Dr. Arjun Sahgal. “He was quietly confident in what he was able to do and gave me great strength and renewed hope at a very challenging juncture in my life,” she says.
Dr. Sahgal is chief of Radiation Oncology and director of Sunnybrook’s Cancer Ablation Program, home to three donor-funded radiation technologies – the first of their kind in Canada – that are changing how tumours are targeted.
During their meeting, Ms. Laura learned about the Gamma Knife Icon and its pinpoint precision, which simply isn’t possible via other treatment means. Instead of requiring whole-brain radiation, the Gamma Knife Icon focuses hundreds of radiation beams on a single target while sparing healthy tissue.
Dr. Sahgal calls the technology “unique,” and after reviewing Ms. Laura’s case, he quickly identified that she might be an ideal candidate for the treatment.
“My previous radiation oncologist said that this was something that would take my life,” Ms. Laura says of her diagnosis. “Dr. Sahgal felt he could extend my life and do it safely by taking advantage of the unique attributions of the Gamma Knife Icon, despite my previous radiation treatment.
“Sunnybrook gave me hope when there was none,” says Ms. Laura.
One of seven
Over the next few months, Ms. Laura travelled to Sunnybrook for treatment. She became one of the first people in the world to undergo intense, precision radiation in an area of the brain that offers almost no margin for uncertainty.
“Dr. Sahgal is a master radiation oncologist,” says Ms. Laura. “He was able to deliver extremely precise re-radiation without side effects, and five years later I am fortunate enough to live a very meaningful life.”
The results of Dr. Sahgal’s world-first went on to be published in the Journal of Neurosurgery. “It was a great honour to lead this work,” says Dr. Sahgal. “It was possible because of people like Laura.
“We take a calculated risk of serious side effects in order to control tumours and prolong life. It is a delicate balance, but ultimately, we were able to show that we stopped tumours that grew through all other treatments.”
From the original first seven patients who were treated, Sunnybrook has since treated 30 people, with the results giving hope to more people with tumours that have evaded all other treatments.
Says Dr. Sahgal: “That’s what Sunnybrook is all about: being there ‘when it matters most,’ and ‘inventing the future of health care.’ It’s certainly what we did with Laura’s case, and it’s what we are hoping to do for even more people.
“This is also a prime example of how Sunnybrook donors allow us to help patients who otherwise would have no other options.”
Another chance at life
“It’s a little bit cliché,” says Ms. Laura, “but Dr. Sahgal gave me another chance at life.”
It has been five years since Ms. Laura met Dr. Sahgal, at a time when she was told she would have just months to live.
These days, Ms. Laura is continuing treatment with oral chemotherapy. She enjoys time with her friends and family, and is exploring old and new hobbies, like skiing, tennis and her childhood joy of horseback riding.
Ms. Laura says her experience as a patient at Sunnybrook has helped inform her approach to her own work at CAMH.
“I’m more mindful of what people are going through physically and mentally, and the importance of including the whole family as part of the care team,” says Ms. Laura.
Ms. Laura experienced how profound it can be when a health-care professional says yes when no one else will. Like Dr. Sahgal, she hopes to create new possibilities for patients who have nowhere else to turn.
Says Ms. Laura: “Sunnybrook is truly a centre of excellence and innovation. Today I am living a meaningful and very full life. I owe this in large part to Sunnybrook, but most importantly to Dr. Sahgal.”
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