A Brain Cancer Success Story

This is a story of a tremendously successful response of a brain cancer patient, a young lady, to DCA and chemotherapy. It was so successful that her last scan showed no sign of cancer. Some personal details must remain confidential.

(updated 16 January 2010)

Here is a synopsis of the story:
Diagnosed fall of 2007, Astrocytoma, Grade 3.

Surgery September 2007

Started DCA. 25 mg/kg

One month later, dose was doubled.

"Three weeks later the DCA went toxic on my body - as in fingers, very numb, legs strength sapped, feet felt like round bottoms and numb - it was brutal. I was talking nonsense some of the time, very poor bladder control. Other than that, did well or I thought so until....

...an MRI 3 months later (January, 2008) that showed the tumor had returned/progressed. "

Quit DCA. (Note: She was not drinking caffeine at this time. She happened to be a caffeine drinker, but quit drinking caffeine after her diagnosis of cancer)

"went downhill considerably fast after that [stopping the DCA]."

"Went to Mexico for alternative treatments and were there for 2 weeks. Doc told us to go home and get some radiation first - chelation, and Laetrile (B17) and immune building pills."

"End of February 2008, second surgery to debulk tumor prior to radiation "

Started Radiation/Chemo March, 2008

"Went into a coma 2 days later for approximately 24 hours - the doc told my hubby I would probably not make it through the weekend - alot ALOT of prayer went up that weekend and ever since I woke up, the the Lord has been healing me. They said it was a Miracle, all praise to our Lord and Savior!! My brain scan was very pathetic looking - the mid line was curved (normally straight), very swollen in there. ... With the emergency MRI they did that day there was also a cyst in there " With the onset of the coma, the physician suspected her cancer had changed to grade 4, glioblastoma.

"When I finished the radiation/chemo we went to go see the doc ... to see his opinion on me re-starting the DCA for the second time - he said I had nothing to lose. End of April 2008."

During this second round of DCA, she was also on the chemotherapy Temozolomide. In addition she drank caffeine and was still taking laetrile.

[I asked about the chemo: "Yes I was on DCA and chemo for the last 6 rounds that I took at home.
Temozolomide, in pill form so I could take this at home."]

[I asked about the caffeine. Question: "when did you start caffeine again? What doctor recommended it? Answer: " No one recommended it, just started on my own after show of progression - I just thought what the heck. And along with your newly found results at the time I allowed myself to drink more black tea too for a while - until I was having a hard time falling asleep. " She started drinking caffeine about the first of February 2008.]

[I asked about the laetrile: She has continued to take laetrile shots and pills since January 2008. Laetrile dosage:
oral: 500mg pills 3x a day
injected: 3g - 10ml- 1.M 61.V]

MRI Scans: "A significant reduction in the tumor and cyst consecutively, in each MRI - July, August and October 2008. PET scan in October indicated no cancer activity at all!"

"Have had a few " PETIT MAL" seizures (or similar) once a month for the first while, and then we're getting down to every few months. I would estimate about 8. "

"Since then I have very consistently been using DCA at 25mg/kg. ... Some days I feel my lips getting numb and so I stop for 2 days - once a month or so, and also sometimes I forget on the weekend - when we don't have a normal day! "

"Since Mexico I have been using Laetrile (B17), ... ,injection 3 times a week (I do this myself), and pills three times a day the other days. Essiac tea as well (old native remedy known to help lots of cancer patients), sometimes I take a break as it is very tiring thinking that I have to take this on an empty stomach."

"Now the big question: is DCA helping me? Yes most definitely - I believe the DCA needs something else - chemo/rad to make it most effective."

"In addition to DCA (to boost the DCA and decrease side effects of the drug) I have been using B1 (300 mg a day), 2 cups of caffeinated coffee a day along with immune boosters etc. ... The Lord has been so good! "

How much caffeine? " ± 2 cups of coffee per day - 'A MUST in my life' - sometimes caffeinated tea (one cup)"
Any thing else of importance? "Gods Healing!"

- - - - - - - - - -

Email, 5 February 2009:

To my very special people - just a quick note to tell you that my MRI came back very good - the tumor shrunk down to almost nothing - so this of course is very good news!! We are so praising the Lord, always takes a while to get into my head that is was good once again:))  Feb 15 it will be 1.5 yrs. I will be updating the blog later this evening - hopefully!

- - - - - - - - - -

Email 9 February 2009:

“My doc is amazed that my tumor is still shrinking after I have not been on chemo for 4 1/2 months.”

Email 24 April 2009

My Dear people, Family and Friends:
We have fantasic news to share once again. The MRI came back totally clean once again! God is so merciful. Clean in Doc terms means: no evidence of cancer/tumor so this has been the third one (MRI) - and now I dont have to come back for 6mo - ya hoo - free all summer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please dont interprut this as 'cancer free' - they have not indicated that at all. I think brain cancer is kind of in a category of its own. And I dont want people to intrept this the wrong way-however I am well on my way - Thanks to the Lords Healing Hand staying on my brain each and every
day!!!!!!!!!!!

Email 16 January 2010

Hi there Jim, sorry I took so long, but here is a brief overview of my past yearish.

My MRI was clean until oct 2009, Dr.**** said there was only a slight difference from the previous MRI, taken 6 months ago.

But he was determined we needed to something about it now before it grew out of control and we had lost the battle - the reason he wanted to have me take chemo was cause last time it worked so well for me. The ****** chemo doc did not agree with him, as the difference was so slight. And the MRI report indicated 'stable disease'. So they refused.

Nov 2 (three weeks later), Dr.**** wanted me to return prior to him leaving for his 3wk holiday. Had the MRI and it showed growth, up to about 2cm. So much for stable disease huh? He was very upset, he said he had seen this so often, but he still thought we had caught it well enough in time. So the ***** now needed to admit this wasn't stable disease and they gave me chemo!! MY WBC count had been low, hovering between 2.0 to 2.5 for pretty much a year, as God would have it my WBC (neuts) were up high enough for the first time in a year. (maybe thats why He made me wait 3wks?? - every thing in His Time - I'll tell you later on what I found helped for me to increase WBC) anyhow off we went home with chemo in hand (the chemo for brain cancer can be taken orally at home), can you beleive being excited to take chemo? lil crazy I know. Then after the first round the WBC crashed down again. So I missed one round and just finished my second round (I should have had 3 rounds)- its not too bad just makes me tired.

So Jan 6 2010, I had another MRI. I was totally convinced it would have grown, cause I was feeling slight pressure in my head, not headache style, just heat and pressure type of thing, didnt have to take tylenol or anything. The MRI came back clean, CLEAN!!!he said there was a tiny lil bit something there but he was sure it was scar tissue. So we were Praising the Lord!!

So thats my story and Im stickin' to it!

In re: to Laetrile, the Doc made me quit that in May 2009. I restarted it now, but only for 2wks, so Im sure it wasnt that.

I have been on DCA the entire time, and still am. My daily dose is 12.5mg/Kg.

In re: to WBC, I used a product called 'Essiac Tea'. The Original formula, in liquid form. How I know this is, when we came back from the first MRI, I started using this product again (hadn't been using it for some time, its somewhat pricey, has to be taken on an empty stomach, just tired of doing it...) so I used an aggressive dose. Not sure if you know the product, its an old Indian recipe, different roots etc. So anyhow got off track here, started using it in Oct 09 after my 'stable disease' MRI, in 2 wks my WBC went from a 2.3 to 4.2 (normal range is 4-11), so for the first time in a long time I was within normal range!! The essiac was the only thing I did different, so I don't know what else?

--- --- ---

Some thoughts: The patient did not respond suitably to DCA alone, initially. The response was fantastic when DCA was used with temozolomide, caffeine and laetrile. Interestingly, the tumor has continued to shrink for many months after cessation of the temozolomide.

Maybe researchers from Schering-Plough Corporation should consider a clinical study of temozolomide, caffeine and DCA on glioblastoma and astrocytoma and see what happens. There is already research indicating that ECGC can help sensitize glio cells to temozolomide. (Source) This might be an effective 'cocktail'.

And in fact, there is a clinical trial being planned related to this. Combining Radiotherapy and Temozolomide With Dichloracetate in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma.

The official title is "A Phase I Single Arm Trial Combining Radiotherapy and Temozolomide With Dichloracetate (DCA) in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Multiform Tumours"

---------------
here is a link for another glioblastoma case:
https://thedcasite.com/dcaforum/DCForumID2/249.html

top