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JD Barcik 35, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, 6 cycles ABVD from May - October, 2004. Relapse February 2004. Refused high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant to try alternatives.

I am well now and here’s why: I followed the crowd into first line chemotherapy in June 2003.  My influences were despair, fear and a loss of trust in my body’s ability to heal itself.  Almost immediately after chemotherapy I relapsed.  My second conventional treatment options were not good to put it mildly.  Then I found Gar Hildenbrand and started listening to my “gut” only after a few conversations with him. Gar’s treatment comprehensively dealt with my sick body by way of science, logic and fact.  Equally important he addressed how I felt.  The latter being something my conventional treatment course both omitted and discounted. In the beginning, I was not convinced of anything.  I decided however that I would believe that it was possible “to believe” in an alternative.  I would describe this as a half step in the right direction. Immediately upon starting the program I began to change.  I was trained and educated by the staff so I could be an effective part of my own treatment at home and guide those around me willing to help.Every time I looked backward, there was my team of exceptional people in Gar, Christeene and my family plus a very powerful treatment protocol.  Finally I began to recognize, accept and commit to the many changes taking place in my body, life, environment etc.There is more that comes from this treatment than beating cancer.  Gar and Christeene Hildenbrand understand recovery, healing and life better than anyone I’ve ever met or heard.  In fact they have lived through disease and most importantly, communicate it clearly and brilliantly.  I worked very hard and stayed focused, but was met with many challenges.  Gar was there for me when I needed him.  Over a year’s time the moments of disbelief, doubt and fear decreased and my confidence increased.I will never forget how much work it has been.  I did not have the answers then that I do now.  But it is possible.  At this moment, I might be the healthiest person I know.  Gar Hildenbrand gave me help, a path and continued to bridge me from then until now.I am well now and it is possible with Gar Hildenbrand Alternatives.  To know it is possible, to know it can be done is power.  For this I am very thankful.  You can do this and I am available to you to confirm this testimonial.

John David "JD" Barcik, July 2005

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Update March 2007: JD has since become successful in technology sales and has married a lovely woman by the name of Tatiana. They live and thrive in Florida.

Update July 18, 2007: JD called on July 11, 2007, to report that Tatiana gave birth to Felipa on July 10, 2007, to a healthy baby girl whom they named Felipa, nicknamed Pipa. They are now located in northern California, and JD continues to thrive in every aspect of his life.

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Catherine G. 73. Reversal of extensive bone- and lung-metastasized recurrent infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast.

This very pleasant 73-year-old retired educator was first seen by us with an 11-year history of breast carcinoma. In 1993, a 6-cm mass was discovered in her left breast. First line therapy was a modified radical mastectomy with lymph-node dissection. Ominously, 6 of 21 lymph nodes were invaded by malignant cells; therefore, she was staged as IIIA (T3 N1 M0). Chemotherapy with Cytoxan, methotrexate, and 5FU was given per standard protocol. She was started on tamoxifen, which was discontinued immediately when she developed endometrial cancer for which she had a total abdominal hysterectomy.

In January 2001, after being injured in an automobile accident, an x-ray finding was suspicious for metastatic disease, and she underwent 2 cycles of chemotherapy.

In February of 2003, she presented left-sided lymphedema, weight loss, and a persistent dry cough. In September 2003, a PET scan demonstrated multiple hypermetabolic foci within the neck, chest and skeleton, including left-sided scalene and supraclavicular lymph nodes, right-sided hilar nodal groups multiple skeletal lesions in the right femur and ileum, the left acetabulum, a left rib with chest-wall involvement, and the spine at L4. A chest x-ray revealed a 1.5-cm left mid-lung mass. In October 2003, the spinal lesion was again imaged by CT, and a whole-body bone scan confirmed the lesion at L3-4, as well as lesions of the left clavicle and a left lateral rib. On CT-guided biopsy of the lung mass, she suffered a minor pneumothorax. A chest x-ray again imaged the 1.5-cm left mid-lung mass.

In January 2004, CT revealed two lung tumors on the left, a 1.4-cm lingular nodule, and a new 1-cm lower left lobe nodule. A bone scan demonstrated progression with new extensive metastatic disease involving the anterior calvarium, the left sternoclavicular region, several bilateral ribs, the sternum, the spine throughout its cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae, as well as multiple lesions in the pelvis, and at least two lesions in the right proximal femur.

Catherine was first seen by us in late January 2004. She was admitted for 28 days of nutritional therapy with detoxification, Coley’s toxins, an autologous cancer-associated-microbial-antigen vaccine (CAMV), and photopheresis with manufacture of a take-home supply of frozen, live dendritic cells for period injections. She was also prescribed letrozole and zoledronic acid. She was discharged in excellent condition.

By the end of March 2004, after only two months of treatment, a CT of the chest revealed that the two previously described pulmonary nodules had decreased in size so much that the left lower lobe nodule was barely visible. A March 2004 pelvic CT noted both the lumbar spine metastasis and the irregular demineralization and sclerosis within the bony pelvis. A late-May bone scan showed a decrease in intensity of some of the central lesions raising the possibility of interval improvement, and by mid-July 2004 a pelvic CT no longer demonstrated demineralization or sclerosis, although a chest CT could still delineate the lingular mass in the left lung. A new set of scans in November 2004 showed no real change.

Over the December 2004 - January 2005 holidays, Catherine was given a break from immunizations, and vacationed with her family for five weeks. She resume treatment and, in March 2005, another round of CT scans found her lungs entirely tumor-free with only slight scarring. In August 2005, Catherine returned for photopheresis/dendritic cells, Coley’s toxins and CAMV. CT scans of August 2005, October 2005, and January 2006 demonstrated stable disease. A PET/CT of March 2006 showed “fewer FDG avid bone lesions than there are lesions on CT scan suggesting that most metastatic bone disease in this patient is healed or stable.” Another PET/CT of late November 2006 found no new disease, and demonstrated “right hilar foci appear actually less intense than previously, suggesting benign etiology.” The most recent PET/CT of May 25, 2007, was encouraging demonstrating "1. Stable uptake in the left clavicle. 2. Stable right hilar uptake, probably benign. 3. Widespread mottled appearance of the bones, but no FDG avidity, suggesting healed metastatic bone disease." Catherine is very well, on the verge of completing immunotherapy and ending her 13-year experience with breast cancer.

In her own words

A Cancer Journey

I first encountered Breast cancer in the winter of 1993-1994. The tumor was large, six centimeters. I was terrified. Too many women I knew, none relatives, had died of the disease and their experience was not an enviable one.

My surgeon recommended a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation. The date of the operation was set for the end of January. Meanwhile, I began reading everything I could find about breast cancer and learned enough to be actively involved in my recovery. It was a long process with significant setbacks but I made it through alive. After several years, I even began to feel like a survivor.

Ten years passed; cancer was now a thing of my past; life was busy and rewarding.

After a plane flight to Florida, I noticed the beginnings of swelling in my arm: lymph edema. I knew this could happen and went for the necessary therapy. Later I learned that this may have been a prelude of things to come.

In August that year, I came down with pneumonia. The physician's assistant in my primary care doctor's office recognized it as a possible sign of the cancer's return and sent me for a chest x-ray. Once the pneumonia was cleared a second x-ray followed by scans confirmed his suspicions. It was back ... with a vengeance.

In addition to the three nodules on my lung, there were tumors in my right leg, both hips, my low back, rib cage and clavicle. According to my oncologist, there could be no cure now, just a possible "buying of time" with some very toxic medicines.

Many years ago I read a book about a then controversial cancer treatment called "Laetrile". While the doctors here worked to pin down a precise diagnosis and treatment plan for me, I went on line and to the library to pursue research of my own. Three months of reading and consulting led to my decision to take an alternative route first. After all, chemo would still be an option if the other didn't work.

At that time, the Issels treatment at Oasis of Hope Hospital was under the direction of Gar Hildenbrand. My pre-admission conversations with Gar were decisive in bringing me there. He was able to tell me so much about my case and how the treatment worked that I had total confidence in its potential for cure.

During the hospital stay, there are treatments that one cannot repeat at home. However, the hospital experience is a learning experience preparing the patient to continue major parts of the therapy at home. Time in the hospital is the beginning of healing, not it's completion.

Three years ago February, I returned home. The only sign of success at the time was a significant drop in my tumor markers.

Within a few months, however, one of the lung tumors had disappeared and one had faded (there were three to start). Today, my lung is clear, as are my hips, leg, low back and rib cage. Some cancer remains in my clavicle. I'm still working on that.

The only side effect I've experienced from the treatment is an increase in energy and a healthy loss of weight. Even my oncologist is impressed by my progress and general good health.

I have to admit that the treatment, to be successful, requires both work and perseverance. For me, it has been well worth the effort; and, I have been able to do it alone although it would have been nice to have help.

Updated July18, 2007

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Johanna S, 34. Arrest of rapidly recurrent node-positive, ER/PR-positive, grade 2 infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast in a young woman.

This delightful British woman was first diagnosed at age 31 in September 2004 during two consecutive surgeries for what was found to be a moderately differentiated (grade 2) infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the right breast. The pathologist designated her disease stage IIB (T2N1M0), positive for estrogen and progesterone receptors, 1 of 9 lymph nodes positive for malignant invasion, with surgical margins positive for malignant cells. A postoperative staging MRI demonstrated an 8 mm lesion in the contralateral (left) breast, a second primary. She was urged by physicians of the Royal Marsden to accept systemic chemotherapy, but refused.

In October 2004, she traveled to Mexico for laetrile therapy. While in Mexico, she sought additional treatment by our group and received 2 treatments of photopheresis/dendritic cells. She returned to her home in Oxfordshire to continue laetrile therapy. In February 2005, at the urging of Royal Marsden physicians, she had limited surgery to remove 3 enlarged lymph nodes between her right breast and axilla, two of which were only reactive, but the third of which contained grade 2 invasive ductal carcinoma. Unfortunately, a follow-up MRI at Royal Marsden in June 2005 demonstrated three foci of recurrent disease in the right breast (although the lesion in her left breast had apparently resolved). The current evidence suggests that local recurrence is not the sign of inadequate surgery, but of a more aggressive systemic disease,

Johanna traveled to Mexico again in July 2005 to see us for aggressive treatment with Coley’s vaccine (Guatemala), photopheresis/dendritic cells, a cancer-associated microbial antigen vaccine, and dietotherapy. She maintained intensive treatment with Coley’s vaccine for 9 months, pushing for fever before each application of dendritic cells. During this time she perfected her diet therapy, which she then maintained for the subsequent 15 months, until the present time. Although there was an initial increase in the size of her breast lesion from 1.5 to 3.6 cm, multiple repeat examinations and scans have demonstrated no further growth, and no metastatic disease has developed whatsoever. Her tumor marker was finally within normal limits at her most recent labs. This is an example of the arrest of a very high risk, aggressively recurrent (within 9 months) breast disease that was incompletely debulked, received no hormonal management, was never radiated, and was not treated with systemic anticancer drugs. The role of immunotherapy is clearly demonstrated. Johanna will be 35 at the end of May 2007.

Posted May 4, 2007

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David K 18, arrest of end-stage exhaustively pretreated recurrent spine-metastasized (dropped) medulloblastoma.

David was diagnosed in 2001 at age 11 with a medulloblastoma, which was treated with surgery, whole brain radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. His response to treatment was excellent and he remained disease free for 5 years. The disease recurred in April 2006 and scans revealed 6 lesions, the largest of which was 4 cm. David’s son Robert located an MD who had a quantity of Coley’s toxins manufactured under the supervision of he late Wayne Martin. Robert applied this vaccine for 8 months before his supplies were exhausted in December 2006. The parents had no choice but to continue David’s supportive treatment of diet, juices, and Budwig’s dairy/flax combination. January 2007 scans revealed that the disease had “dropped” into the spine. In February 2007, out of desperation due to steady deterioration of David’s general condition, cesium chloride was added, with disastrous results. David began seizing, his Glasgow coma scale dropped, and he was urgently admitted to intensive care, where doctors predicted imminent death. Fortunately, he responded to diuretics and steroids and recovered, albeit with continued seizures and hiccoughs. In March, David received the new MBVax Biosciences Coley Fluid through the CHIPSA hospital and has been demonstrating consistent improvement since then.

The following voicemail message says it all.

“Hello Gar, this is Robert. I just wanted to let you know that Davey graduated from high school today and he got a big cheer, you know. Like everybody in the whole thing kind of cheered for the kid because he wasn’t expected to live, you know. So, I want to personally thank you for getting us this far, you and Don and Stephen. It’s been great. I just wanted to let you know that he looked good, he seemed strong. He seems to be able to stay up 12 hours at a time now. He was sleeping all the time before. I don’t know what it is, but he seems o be doing remarkably well. I just hope I don’t blow it and screw him up in one of the treatments. At any rate, I just thought I’d let you know, and I wanted to thank you. All right, I’m going to bed now because it’s 10:00 pm. I’m going to try to get up early and treat him tomorrow. All right…good night.”

June 25, 2007

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Marilyn M – Reversal of inflammatory lobular carcinoma of the breast

This pleasant 64-year-old female presented with sudden-onset inflammatory lobular carcinoma of the left breast in early January 2008. A mammography report dated Jan 7, 2008, described the left breast: “Marker on area of concern, 2:30 anterior, 4 cm x 4 cm smooth, firm, tender, non-moveable lump. Skin appears peau d’orange, pale. Left nipple retracted, pulling to the 3 o’clock position. Right breast very tender and hard to examine.” The right-sided mammogram demonstrated a “large spiculated mass with nipple retraction and overlying skin thickening present left upper outer quadrant most compatible with inflammatory breast cancer. Prominent nodes seen in both axillae.”

An ultrasound report dated Jan 8, 2008, found in the left breast, “a large hypoechoic, poorly-defined mass at 2 o’clock, corresponding to the patient’s lump, measuring 3.0 x 2.5 x 3.0 cm (length x APO x width). This tumor lies on top of the chest wall. Overlying skin is thickened. No obvious satellite nodule seen about 2 o’clock; however, in scanning the axilla there is an enlarged, dumb-bell shaped, abnormal lymph node measuring 2.3 x 1.2 x 1.8 cm.” “Impression: Large 3-cm malignant mass corresponds to the patient’s palpable lump in the left breast at 2 o’clock. Overlying skin thickening present. Findings most compatible with inflammatory breast carcinoma in this patient with nipple inversion. Enlarged axillary lymph node most compatible with metastatic adenopathy.

The patient was admitted for immunotherapy on January 10, 1008. Her left breast was grossly enlarged, angry red, with tight, shiny skin superiorly, peau d’orange inferiorly, and an inverted nipple. The tumor and node visualized in the above ultrasound were confirmed by MRI on January 14, 2008. The thorax and abdomen were found to be free of obvious metastatic disease. A central line was installed and a Tru-Cut needle biopsy was obtained on January 14, 2008. A histological evaluation dated January 14, 2008, confirmed infiltrating lobular carcinoma, nuclear grade II. The immunohistochemical evaluation was positive for estrogen (100%), progesterone (10%), and P53 (85%).

Treatment consisted of daily intratumoral and peritumoral injections of Coley Fluid (CF). PUVA photopheresis was administered on 8 occasions, each time with monocyte harvest. Monocytes were cultured with IL4, GM-CSF and TNF-ά to produce dendritic cells (DC), which were administered through the central line and subcutaneously at bilateral axillary and inguinal sites during CF-induced fevers. On several occasions, DC were injected intratumorally subsequent to peritumoral injections of CF.

The patient responded remarkably to treatment during hospitalization, with resolution of inflammation and peau d’orange over most of her breast, and partial extroversion of the nipple. The inflammatory component of the disease process consolidated to the lower outer quadrant, measuring approximately 10 x 10 cm when she was discharged to home on March 1, 2008, with instructions to continue her immunotherapy at home. She continues in follow up, reporting that the mass had reduced  in size to approximately 9 x 9 cm by March 8, and to approximately 7.6 x 7.6 cm on March 17, 2008.

The patient was seen by a Spokane WA oncologist on March 25, 2008, who stated, “You did have an inflammatory breast tumor, and the inflammation is gone, so what you are doing is working.” He measured the residual mass as 5 x 6 cm.

CF injections were discontinued for one week, after which an MRI and a PET/CT were obtained on April 15^th and 16^th respectively. The MRI demonstrated a left breast mass measuring 4.8 x 2.0 x 4.6 cm, with numerous enhancing satellite nodules surrounding the mass. In addition, a left axillary node measured 2.3 cm x 9.5 mm. However, the PET/CT found no FDG-avid satellites or lymph nodes. Additionally, the FDG-avid component of the tumor seen on the MRI measured only 3.5 x 2.3 x 3.0 cm, with a maximum central SUV of 7.5.

On interview, the patient stated that she had continued the break from immunization until she learned the results of the scans. During this approximately 2-week period, her breast became entirely supple and normal in texture and flexibility. Additionally, the perceived lump on palpation was felt to be much softer and smaller than it was at the time of the scan. She stated that she thought there was persistent CF-induced inflammation at the time of the scans, which continued to resolve in the week after the scans were taken.

The patient resumed maintenance CF intratumoral injections into the metabolically active part of the mass. A PET/CT July 17, 2008, demonstrated persistent but diminished FDG avidity of 6.2 SUV in the left-breast mass, essentially anatomically and metabolically unchanged from 3 months prior, with no evidence of interval invasion into the chest wall. There was no evidence of growth in locoregional lymph nodes, no evidence of internal mammary node hypermetabolism, and a faint FDG uptake of 1.7 SUV in the left axillary node, which was reduced in size to 6 mm. Her home oncologist brought her superior to the follow-up consultation, where both physicians stated that the treatment was working, and then asked a number of questions about the vaccine and cellular treatments.

A follow-up interview of October 10, 2008, found the patient well and continuing once-a-week CF injections, now administered subcutaneously in the upper arm. She reported that her left breast nipple was no longer pulled down to the side. She stated that she could still palpate the mass, but that it was very soft. Several long dimpled areas extending from the nipple have resolved, and another continues to improve. She reported that the breast itches a lot. Her weight was reported as 125 lbs, down from 180 at the beginning of CF treatment; her appetite, energy, and muscle tone are excellent. The plan is to repeat the PET/CT in November of 2008.