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Patient Stories
These men hope their stories of surviving brain cancer will inspire other cancer patients to talk with their doctors about participating in clinical trials.
Bob's Story:
Bob Gibbs, 40, is a brain cancer survivor. Gibbs was diagnosed with a primary brain tumor in 2004. Over the past four years, he has undergone two brain surgeries and chemotherapy. During his last surgery in 2008, he was told that his tumor has become more aggressive and is now a Grade III. This has decreased his chances of survival yet, ironically, qualified him for DC Vax, a brain tumor vaccine developed by neurosurgeon Dr. Linda Liau at UCLA, and manufactured by Northwest Biothereputics.
Simply put, after surgery, an individualized vaccine is created for the patient, using pieces of the excised tumor that are combined with the patient’s own dendritic cells (the master cells responsible for starting and managing the body’s overall immune response), and injected back into the patient. Gibbs is just one of several of Liau’s patients who have survived for up to six years post-diagnosis.
Gibbs, who now devotes his life to raising money to fight brain cancer. His organization, Miles for Hope, was founded by he and his wife to fund brain tumor clinical trials and to provide travel assistance to brain tumor patients enrolled in clinical trials. They are located in Clearwater, Florida.
Hank's Story:
At the age of 38, Hank Zavaleta of Lakewood, California, was in the prime of his life. He had been married for 15 years to his amazing wife, had two beautiful daughters, and a fantastic career as a captain with the Long Beach Fire Department. His active family enjoyed boating, skiing, traveling and lots of golf. Then he received the news that changed everything: he had a malignant brain tumor and was told he had one to two years to live. But five years later, Hank is living his life to the fullest in sunny California.
"I used to be the one who did the rescuing, now DCVax has rescued me," says Hank. "It's not just personalized medicine - it's also personalized hope. I have had no side effects. It's simple to receive the vaccine, and I am still here after five years. DCVax is a blessing that gave me the opportunity to be with my daughters, Noelle and Jessica, during their teenage years and hopefully far beyond.'
Hank Zavaleta, at home and at work with the Long Beach Fire Department.
Brad's Story:
For 15 years, Brad Silver saved countless lives as an ocean lifeguard on the beaches of California. After teaching high school for several years, he became a stay-at-home dad in 2000, when his daughter, Caroline, was born. An athlete and avid surfer, Brad was crushed when, in 2003, he was diagnosed with brain cancer, told that his tumor was inoperable and that he had two months to live. With a pregnant wife and toddler at home, Brad rejected the idea of not living as long as possible to watch his children grow. He found a surgeon who could operate, and then discovered the DCVax clinical trial. He immediately enrolled and now, five years later, has moved to Cleveland, Ohio with his family. Brad attends cancer conferences, sharing his feelings and beliefs about cancer survival. He also volunteers as a counselor for camps with teenagers with cancer and their siblings.
"When I was diagnosed with brain cancer and given a two-month life expectancy, my friends told me to take those statistics and throw them in the trash because I have never been an 'average' guy," said Brad, who now is a competitive water polo player in Ohio. "I return to California not only to receive my DCVax booster shots, but also to surf every day that I am there. It took cancer to open my heart and mind. Diagnosis is based on numbers and I am not a number. From day one of learning I had brain cancer, I became a survivor. Now I live life and love life," said Brad.
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