Maui attorney Jamil Newirth turns brain cancer journey into hope for others

By Denise Heady, MA / UCLA Health

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 Linda Liau, MD, PhD. 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,” said Newirth. 

A devastating diagnosis

In 2012, Newirth had just graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi 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 at the emergency room multiple times. Doctors kept attributing it to stress from studying. 

Along with the headaches, Newirth started experiencing nausea and 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,” said Newirth. 

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 Dr. Liau, who is the chair of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and director of the UCLA Brain Tumor Program.

Dr. 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 (aka 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 Dr. Liau, he immediately enrolled in the clinical trial.

“Dr. Liau is confident, caring and does everything with a personal touch,” said Newirth. “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 the innovative research from Dr. Liau 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,” said Dr. Liau. “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 years point, he would start a foundation to help other patients with cancer in Hawaii,” said Dr. Liau.

And he did just that.

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

This month they are holding a new fundraising event called “Catalyst for Hope,” to help raise funds for individuals fighting cancer and provide support for cutting-edge cancer research that is being done by Dr. Liau and her team.

“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.

*This story originally appeared in UCLA Health