Jun 2, 2008 5:28 pm US/Eastern
Man Says Cancer Vaccine Helped Save His Life
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
-
-
Jim Taubert was just 41-years old when he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 2006.
WBZ
Cancer vaccines are being studied as treatment for a number of cancers, including brain tumors. They're called vaccines because they stimulate the body's own immune system to fight off tumor cells.
A father of two from Sterling is taking part in a clinical trial testing a new brain cancer vaccine. He calls it a miracle and says it's helped him beat the odds.
Jim Taubert was just 41-years old when he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 2006. "All of the sudden I felt like someone had come up from behind and hit me in the head with an ax. It was like I was holding my head together."
Doctors told the father of two he had only 6 to 11-months to live. "They told me a giloblastoma was the worst one you can have, it's like an octopus, it wraps around the brain."
Jim had surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible, then had chemo and radiation. He read about an experimental new vaccine they were testing at Duke University Medical Center, so he enrolled in the study.
For the past 16 months, Jim has been traveling from Massachusetts to North Carolina once a month to get the vaccine
He says his latest MRI shows his tumor is now in remission and he has survived twice as long as expected. "It's gone… Its highly likely this is the vaccine, I just thank god we found it."
Jim hopes that Kennedy will beat the odds like he has and that he is grateful for every day he's alive. "You get a second chance… I'm living on borrowed time, but it's worth it."
Jim hopes that if and when Sen. Kennedy recovers from his treatment, that he will help lobby for FDA approval for the new vaccine.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
