Treatment

Because Nic’s tumour is on her brain stem, many of the traditional treatments for cancerous tumours cannot be used to treat it. Surgery isn’t possible because the brain stem area is extremely sensitive, it is too sensitive for even a biopsy to be taken, so chemotherapy isn’t an option either. Nic has had a six week course of radiotherapy which has stabilised the tumour, but this is only temporary. There is no further treatment available to help her in the UK.

There is hope, however, in a pioneering treatment which is available in the US. In 1967, Dr. S. Burzynski, M.D., Ph.D discovered the existence of antineoplastons (ANP) which are chemicals derived from peptides and amino acids. These peptides and amino acids occur naturally in the healthy human body and according to Dr Burzynski have the capacity to act as part of a biochemical defense system within the body which controls cancer cells without harming healthy tissue.

“They turn off the genes that cause cancer,” he explains. “This means oncogenes. And they turn on or activate the genes that fight cancer, which are tumour suppressor genes.
Basically, we are using molecular switches that work on approximately 100 genes involved in cancer. Approximately 80 percent of these genes, which we are turning off, are oncogenes but about 20 percent, which we are turning on, are tumour suppressors. Gene p53, for instance, when it’s activated it can kill cancer cells.
For some patients whom we treat, that’s enough.
If we use medications like antineoplastons… we can get rid of every one of the cancer cells and they will never come back. We have patients who are now surviving over 20 years with incurable cancers and are perfectly free from cancer.
They live normal lives.”

The money you are helping raise will allow Nic to travel to the US for this treament, which works by putting these missing amino acids and peptides directly back into the body by an intravenous Hickman Drain so that they begin working straight away with limited side effects. This will allow them to target the abnormal cells in Nic’s tumour without damaging any healthy tissue, making this aggressive tumour treatable.

We have spent a lot of time researching this treatment and in the course of our research have spoken to other families in the UK who have undertaken the “Burzynski Journey”, many of who would not be here today without it. We understand that this innovative approach has attracted both praise and criticism in the medical community. No one has promised us that this is a definite cure for tthis cruel illness, but having run out of options in the UK, we strongly feel that this is Nic’s one chance for a treatment which will allow her a fulfilling future at the side of her two young children.