High\u2011risk DLBCL can be difficult to treat and many patients relapse even after standard therapies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a group of patients at high risk for relapse and they need better options,\u201d said\u00a0Joseph Tuscano<\/a>, the doctor who initiated the clinical trial. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to combine the best of targeted immunotherapy with the strength of chemotherapy to create a more effective plan.\u201d<\/p>\n Local lineman and father of three enrolls<\/p>\n Bryan Mazza is one of the first to benefit from Tuscano\u2019s clinical trial. The 39-year-old father of three lives in the former gold-mining town of El Dorado. After spending a decade traveling the country as a utility lineman, he settled into the foothills with Pacific Gas & Electric. Mazza specializes in power line restoration and often hikes or even snowshoes to get to power poles, which he then climbs for repairs. It is a physically taxing job, but he loves it.<\/p>\n In August 2023, Mazza had back pain that would not go away. He wondered if it was from a strained muscle.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was worse when sleeping or after eating a big meal,\u201d Mazza explained. \u201cI went to the local urgent care and was told I might be suffering from gallstones, so they recommended I get an ultrasound.\u201d<\/p>\n A patient at\u00a0Marshall<\/a>\u00a0in Placerville, Mazza was scheduled for an ultrasound there. It showed possible kidney cysts. Follow-up imaging with a contrast abdominal CT scan was scheduled.<\/p>\n Worsening symptoms prompted trip to ER<\/p>\n Before the appointment, Mazza\u2019s back pain suddenly became worse. He didn\u2019t feel well. His wife, Jessica, whom he credits for saving his life, insisted he go to the Marshall emergency room. He did so, he said, only to appease her.<\/p>\n A CT scan showed multiple masses on his kidneys and nodules on his lungs.<\/p>\n At the doctor\u2019s appointment following the hospital visit, Mazza said he could see on the doctor\u2019s face that he was about to be told something he did not want to hear.<\/p>\n \u201cMy only thought was how I was going to tell my wife and kids,\u201d Mazza said.<\/p>\n Teaming up to take on cancer<\/p>\n At that point, doctors at Marshall knew they were dealing with cancer \u2014 but what type of cancer they weren\u2019t sure about. They believed it could be kidney cancer or a lymphoma, which can show up nearly anywhere in the body. What was apparent was that the cancer had spread.<\/p>\n Biopsy results showed it was stage four DLBCL, a cancer that develops from blood cells. It grows rapidly and is an aggressive form of non\u2011Hodgkin lymphoma.<\/p>\n Mazza\u2019s wife wasted no time diving into research online to determine where her husband could get the best cancer care.<\/p>\n She knew that\u00a0National Cancer Institute<\/a>-designated cancer centers specialize in the latest medical science advancements. Quickly, she discovered there are only a few in Northern California.<\/p>\n Jessica called UC San Francisco first, which encouraged her to seek immediate care at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center because of Tuscano\u2019s reputation as a leading expert in blood cancer.<\/p>\n The referral to UC Davis was a smooth process. As a\u00a0UC Davis Cancer Care Network<\/a>\u00a0affiliate, Marshall agreed that getting Mazza in to see Tuscano was the right choice.<\/p>\n Because his cancer was spreading rapidly, Tuscano personally called Mazza the evening Marshall sent the referral. He explained that he had a new clinical trial he thought could really increase Mazza\u2019s chances of successfully fighting his cancer.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a big believer in science, so it was not a hard choice to tell Dr. Tuscano I was willing to enroll,\u201d Mazza said.<\/p>\n A two-pronged attack<\/p>\n Tuscano said he wanted to give Mazza\u2019s cancer a \u201cone\u2011two punch,\u201d with immunotherapy striking the cancer first, followed by chemotherapy to wipe out any remaining cells. The hope was that it would have a better chance of long-lasting results.<\/p>\n \u201cI liked Dr. Tuscano\u2019s candor,\u201d Mazza said. \u201cHe didn\u2019t sugarcoat anything. He told me I faced an uphill battle. But because of my age and other reasons, he said he felt the clinical trial plus the chemotherapy would save my life, and it did.\u201d<\/p>\n Tuscano gave Mazza two targeted drugs:\u00a0loncastuximab tesirine<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0rituximab<\/a>. These medicines find and attach to specific proteins primarily on lymphoma cells, making it easier to destroy them.<\/p>\n Loncastuximab tesirine attaches to a protein called CD19 and delivers a cancer\u2011killing drug straight into the cell. \u201cWe\u2019re essentially using targeted therapies to specifically destroy the cancer cells without damaging normal surrounding cells. We do this from the start when the patient\u2019s immune system is the strongest,\u201d Tuscano explained. \u201cThen we follow with chemotherapy to finish the job.\u201d<\/p>\n Next: personalized chemotherapy plan<\/p>\n After the targeted medicines, Mazza received a well\u2011known chemotherapy combination called\u00a0DA\u2011EPOCH\u2011R<\/a>. It includes several drugs, all delivered intravenously.<\/p>\n Tuscano adjusts the chemotherapy dosage for each patient, depending on how they are responding. \u201cOne size doesn\u2019t fit all in cancer treatment,\u201d he said. \u201cDose adjustment helps us tailor care so patients get exactly what they need.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Man](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/male-doctor-examining-male-patient-with-stethoscope-on-back-body.jpg\")
\nClinical trial patient Bryan Mazza and his wife, Jessicia, at a recent follow up appointment with Joseph Tuscano.<\/p>\n
\nRituximab targets a different protein, CD20, helping the immune system recognize and remove lymphoma cells.<\/p>\n![\"Man](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/man-in-dark-shirt-and-shorts-wearing-sunglasses-with-the-number-154-attached-to-lanyard-around-neck-.jpeg\")
\nBryan Mazza following the Gold Country 5k run shortly after finishing the clinical trial.<\/p>\n