A compilation of survivor stories for people with brain cancer and specifically GBMs.
Most of the survivors listed used natural and/or homeopathic treatments.
There are also stories of people who solely did traditional treatments-chemotherapy and radiation.
Unfortunately, there are not too many survivors who used chemo and radiation that are more than five years out or so.
I am currently three years out! Hilary Rose Who: Twenty-eight year old female from England: One year cancer survivor, current MRIs show no cancer cells whatsoever.
Hilary did the standard Temodar/Radiation routine, and she is also taking homeopathic medication from Dr.
Ramakrishnan, a world-renowned naturopathic doctor for his success in treating brain tumors.
Hilary also eats organic fruits and vegetables, and saw an energy healer in Brazil.
She described the experience as "amazing" and that she met many people who had experienced "dramatic results.
" Treatments: Chemotherapy and Radiation, homeopathic medicines, diet, and energy healing.
Tom Rolland Who: Tom is a thirty-eight year old male who was diagnosed with a GBM in 2002.
He is an eight-year survivor.
He was told by his doctor that he had 26 weeks to live if he didn't do radiation, and that if he did do radiation, he might make it one year.
Tom quit radiation five days in, as it made him feel terrible.
He immediately had an anointing service with the elders in his church and started on this diet: flax oil with cottage cheese, shark cartilage capsules, borage oil and CoQ10, water, exercise, and sunlight.
His wife rubbed Frankincense on his head - frankincense naturally contains ozone, which is more powerful than h202 in oxygenating cells.
Tom also consumed graviola, barley, carrots, beets, and he cut out most meats and sugar.
Treatments: Five days of radiation, diet, and other alternative treatments listed above.
Andy Watson Who: Andy is a 49 year-old male who lives in Maine.
He was diagnosed with a GBM in 2005.
He had surgery to remove the tumor that same year.
He is taking homeopathic medicines from a doctor in India.
His doctor, Dr.
Prasanta Banerji, claims he has treated thousands of brain tumors over a 30 year period with a 75% success rate.
While this may seem impossible and obviously a lie, please consider that Dr.
Banerji does not have any financial incentives for sharing this info with those of us in the United States.
Most Americans are not going to spend the money to get there, or even trust going to India to see what we consider a naturopath doctor.
In India, their "real doctors" use homeopathic medications.
Andy personally knows many who are having success with Dr.
Banerji's treatment.
Andy also says that he was the most anti-homeopathic person around, but that his personal results have changed his mind.
He has been able to avoid a second surgery so far, and is waiting to see more results.
Treatments: Surgery, and homeopathic medications.
Ryan Weidman Who: Ryan is a male in his late thirties from Wisconsin.
He was diagnosed with a GBM in 1997.
He had surgery, radiation for six weeks, chemotherapy, and an experimental drug called DFMO.
His neuro-oncologist, Dr.
Choucair (not sure if this is the same Dr.
Choucair I recently saw in Salt Lake, but it's probable as neuro-oncologists are few and far between) told him he had a three percent chance of living five years.
He immediately got an infection on his skull after finishing chemo and radiation.
Ryan's last MRI was in 2002, which showed no growth.
He is now thirteen years out.
Treatments: Radiation, Chemotherapy, and DFMO.
Laura DeBarba Who: Laura is a 44 year old female, who was diagnosed with a GBM in 2002.
She had surgery, completed six weeks of radiation and Temodar (chemo), and is now following a personalized supplement plan put together by Jeanne Wallace, a very successful and renowned nutritionist that specializes in treating brain cancer.
Laura also reads a lot of spiritual books and maintains a positive attitude.
She is now five and a half years out.
Treatment: Radiation and chemotherapy, personalized nutrition plan, and spiritual dependence/positive attitude.
Tim Herron: Who: Tim is a 15-year survivor in his fifties who took an extreme faith-based approach to handling his surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
He also maintained a metabolic diet (which includes detoxification and nutritional replacement).
Tim recognizes the pointlessness of the obvious clash between medicine and natural healing.
He sees the animosity felt on both sides towards each other and wishes that they could work together instead of fighting against each other.
Treatment: Chemotherapy, radiation, faith in God, and a specific diet without sugar, meat, and full of fruits and vegetables.
Candice Jackson Who: Candice is female in her mid fifties who lives in Warren, MI.
She was diagnosed with a GBM in 2001.
She did chemo and radiation after surgery.
Candice struggled with her insurance company and the government to pay her medical bills.
After her employer was forced to fire her due to his failing business, he continued paying her premiums through COBRA until he could no longer.
She struggled to pay the over $1,000-a-month medical bills, before going bankrupt.
She was saved by Medicare.
I know Candice survived until for at least six years, as I found a letter from the state regarding her daycare facility, dated from October, 2007.
I e-mailed her to see if she is still alive and in good health, but haven't heard back from her and her e-mail address isn't active any longer.
Treatment: Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Venoir Who: Venoir is a seven year breast cancer survivor who was treated by Dr.
Gonzalez in New York.
She followed his treatment plan of which consisted of a sole nutritional approach.
Venoir also recommends anyone with brain cancer see Dr.
Burzyinski and his at his clinic in Houston, TX.
She knows people who saw him and are now ten year stage IV brain cancer survivors.
Treatment: Personalized nutrition under the guidance of a medical doctor.
Canadian Research In a study conducted by the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, they reviewed 286 glioblastoma patients, both long-term survivors (three years or more), and newly diagnosed, and ran a series of tests.
These patients all live in Alberta, Canada and the study was conducted from 1975 to 1991.
In the study, they found that 1.
8 percent of their newly diagnosed patients survived more than three years.
All of the newly diagnosed patients underwent the standard radiation and chemotherapy procedure.
They also found that the cell type found in recurrent GBMs versus the cell type in new GBMs have fewer mitosises and a lower proliferative index (the rate at which the cells divide).
The study showed that radiation was generally twice as effective on newly diagnosed patients over patients three years out or more.
I read this report on April 12, 2010, and it can be accessed at http://www.
cjns.
org/25augtoc/long.
html.
Conclusion I bring up this case study to make a simple point.
I am asked by medical professionals all the time to show them proof or clinical evidence for my alternative treatment plan.
I ask them to do the same with traditional medical treatments.
If someone were to show me good statistics for using radiation and chemotherapy to treat glioblastomas, I would do radiation and chemo.
Unfortunately, I have yet to see these statistics.
The statistics I've seen for people my age with GBMs is that I have a 14% chance to live more than five years.
Because standard treatment is Temodar and radiation, one would conclude that these statistics are representative of people who did chemo and radiation.
For me personally, 14% is not good enough.
For however foolish this may be, I'd rather go with Dr.
Banerji's outlandish claim of 75%.
I know there is no evidence to back his claims, but I have evidence to back the detoxification process that was brought on by the homeopathic regime I've used under Dr.
Aldridge.
Most of the survivors listed used natural and/or homeopathic treatments.
There are also stories of people who solely did traditional treatments-chemotherapy and radiation.
Unfortunately, there are not too many survivors who used chemo and radiation that are more than five years out or so.
I am currently three years out! Hilary Rose Who: Twenty-eight year old female from England: One year cancer survivor, current MRIs show no cancer cells whatsoever.
Hilary did the standard Temodar/Radiation routine, and she is also taking homeopathic medication from Dr.
Ramakrishnan, a world-renowned naturopathic doctor for his success in treating brain tumors.
Hilary also eats organic fruits and vegetables, and saw an energy healer in Brazil.
She described the experience as "amazing" and that she met many people who had experienced "dramatic results.
" Treatments: Chemotherapy and Radiation, homeopathic medicines, diet, and energy healing.
Tom Rolland Who: Tom is a thirty-eight year old male who was diagnosed with a GBM in 2002.
He is an eight-year survivor.
He was told by his doctor that he had 26 weeks to live if he didn't do radiation, and that if he did do radiation, he might make it one year.
Tom quit radiation five days in, as it made him feel terrible.
He immediately had an anointing service with the elders in his church and started on this diet: flax oil with cottage cheese, shark cartilage capsules, borage oil and CoQ10, water, exercise, and sunlight.
His wife rubbed Frankincense on his head - frankincense naturally contains ozone, which is more powerful than h202 in oxygenating cells.
Tom also consumed graviola, barley, carrots, beets, and he cut out most meats and sugar.
Treatments: Five days of radiation, diet, and other alternative treatments listed above.
Andy Watson Who: Andy is a 49 year-old male who lives in Maine.
He was diagnosed with a GBM in 2005.
He had surgery to remove the tumor that same year.
He is taking homeopathic medicines from a doctor in India.
His doctor, Dr.
Prasanta Banerji, claims he has treated thousands of brain tumors over a 30 year period with a 75% success rate.
While this may seem impossible and obviously a lie, please consider that Dr.
Banerji does not have any financial incentives for sharing this info with those of us in the United States.
Most Americans are not going to spend the money to get there, or even trust going to India to see what we consider a naturopath doctor.
In India, their "real doctors" use homeopathic medications.
Andy personally knows many who are having success with Dr.
Banerji's treatment.
Andy also says that he was the most anti-homeopathic person around, but that his personal results have changed his mind.
He has been able to avoid a second surgery so far, and is waiting to see more results.
Treatments: Surgery, and homeopathic medications.
Ryan Weidman Who: Ryan is a male in his late thirties from Wisconsin.
He was diagnosed with a GBM in 1997.
He had surgery, radiation for six weeks, chemotherapy, and an experimental drug called DFMO.
His neuro-oncologist, Dr.
Choucair (not sure if this is the same Dr.
Choucair I recently saw in Salt Lake, but it's probable as neuro-oncologists are few and far between) told him he had a three percent chance of living five years.
He immediately got an infection on his skull after finishing chemo and radiation.
Ryan's last MRI was in 2002, which showed no growth.
He is now thirteen years out.
Treatments: Radiation, Chemotherapy, and DFMO.
Laura DeBarba Who: Laura is a 44 year old female, who was diagnosed with a GBM in 2002.
She had surgery, completed six weeks of radiation and Temodar (chemo), and is now following a personalized supplement plan put together by Jeanne Wallace, a very successful and renowned nutritionist that specializes in treating brain cancer.
Laura also reads a lot of spiritual books and maintains a positive attitude.
She is now five and a half years out.
Treatment: Radiation and chemotherapy, personalized nutrition plan, and spiritual dependence/positive attitude.
Tim Herron: Who: Tim is a 15-year survivor in his fifties who took an extreme faith-based approach to handling his surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
He also maintained a metabolic diet (which includes detoxification and nutritional replacement).
Tim recognizes the pointlessness of the obvious clash between medicine and natural healing.
He sees the animosity felt on both sides towards each other and wishes that they could work together instead of fighting against each other.
Treatment: Chemotherapy, radiation, faith in God, and a specific diet without sugar, meat, and full of fruits and vegetables.
Candice Jackson Who: Candice is female in her mid fifties who lives in Warren, MI.
She was diagnosed with a GBM in 2001.
She did chemo and radiation after surgery.
Candice struggled with her insurance company and the government to pay her medical bills.
After her employer was forced to fire her due to his failing business, he continued paying her premiums through COBRA until he could no longer.
She struggled to pay the over $1,000-a-month medical bills, before going bankrupt.
She was saved by Medicare.
I know Candice survived until for at least six years, as I found a letter from the state regarding her daycare facility, dated from October, 2007.
I e-mailed her to see if she is still alive and in good health, but haven't heard back from her and her e-mail address isn't active any longer.
Treatment: Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Venoir Who: Venoir is a seven year breast cancer survivor who was treated by Dr.
Gonzalez in New York.
She followed his treatment plan of which consisted of a sole nutritional approach.
Venoir also recommends anyone with brain cancer see Dr.
Burzyinski and his at his clinic in Houston, TX.
She knows people who saw him and are now ten year stage IV brain cancer survivors.
Treatment: Personalized nutrition under the guidance of a medical doctor.
Canadian Research In a study conducted by the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, they reviewed 286 glioblastoma patients, both long-term survivors (three years or more), and newly diagnosed, and ran a series of tests.
These patients all live in Alberta, Canada and the study was conducted from 1975 to 1991.
In the study, they found that 1.
8 percent of their newly diagnosed patients survived more than three years.
All of the newly diagnosed patients underwent the standard radiation and chemotherapy procedure.
They also found that the cell type found in recurrent GBMs versus the cell type in new GBMs have fewer mitosises and a lower proliferative index (the rate at which the cells divide).
The study showed that radiation was generally twice as effective on newly diagnosed patients over patients three years out or more.
I read this report on April 12, 2010, and it can be accessed at http://www.
cjns.
org/25augtoc/long.
html.
Conclusion I bring up this case study to make a simple point.
I am asked by medical professionals all the time to show them proof or clinical evidence for my alternative treatment plan.
I ask them to do the same with traditional medical treatments.
If someone were to show me good statistics for using radiation and chemotherapy to treat glioblastomas, I would do radiation and chemo.
Unfortunately, I have yet to see these statistics.
The statistics I've seen for people my age with GBMs is that I have a 14% chance to live more than five years.
Because standard treatment is Temodar and radiation, one would conclude that these statistics are representative of people who did chemo and radiation.
For me personally, 14% is not good enough.
For however foolish this may be, I'd rather go with Dr.
Banerji's outlandish claim of 75%.
I know there is no evidence to back his claims, but I have evidence to back the detoxification process that was brought on by the homeopathic regime I've used under Dr.
Aldridge.