Jigar Raythatha (Ray-tha-tha), 46, glioma, Lexington, with Kinnary (wife) and Patrick Wen, MD, Director, Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber

WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon

Jigar Raythatha (Ray-tha-tha), 46, glioma, Lexington, with Kinnary (wife) and Patrick Wen, MD, Director, Center for Neuro-Oncology, Dana-Farber

After two weeks of an unresolved headache, Jigar’s doctor ordered an urgent brain MRI,
which revealed some abnormal findings. To get a definitive diagnosis, doctors would need to
access his brain, so Jigar opted for a biopsy over a craniotomy. The results found he had
IDH-mutant astrocytoma, a biomarker for patients with glioma; these findings would guide the
approach to his brain surgery.
· For treatment post-surgery, he takes one pill daily as an IDH inhibitor. Jigar will take this
while waiting for a new targeted therapy to be approved and finalized: it’s designed specifically
to target the mutation that is causing his type of cancer. At Dana-Farber, he appreciates how
everyone recognizes that you’re going through something very hard and always meets you
where you are in your emotional journey.
· For work, Jigar is the former CEO of a pharmaceutical company that focused on developing
new cancer treatments. Since selling the company two years ago, he now works in venture
capital to start and fund new companies that develop drugs to treat cancer and other diseases.
The company that initially developed his current treatment, Third Rock Ventures, was started
and funded through his firm. Outside of work, Jigar loves watching sports and playing most
sports. He’s a big baseball fan, but unfortunately roots for the Mets because he grew up in New
Jersey.

Glioma facts
· The American Cancer Society’s estimates for brain and spinal cord tumors in the United
States for 2023 include both adults and children about 24,810 malignant tumors of the brain or
spinal cord (14,280 in males and 10,530 in females) will be diagnosed. These numbers would be
much higher if benign (non-cancer) tumors were also included.
· Overall, the chance that a person will develop a malignant tumor of the brain or spinal
cord in their lifetime is less than 1%. The risk of developing any type of brain or spinal cord
tumor is slightly higher among women than among men, although the risk of developing a
malignant tumor is slightly higher for men than for women. This is largely because certain types
of tumors are more common in one sex or the other (for example, meningiomas are more
common in women).
· Survival rates for brain and spinal cord tumors vary widely, depending on the type of tumor
(and other factors).
Patrick Wen, MD
· Dr. Wen graduated from the Medical College of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, University of
London, in 1981. He completed his internal medicine training at the University of London
postgraduate hospitals and his neurology residency in the Harvard-Longwood Neurology
Training Program. His research is focused on novel treatments of brain tumors, especially
targeted molecular agents. His other clinical interests include neurologic complications of
cancer.