Mother of Three Finds Relief Through Mesothelioma Treatment

Debbie Brewer, who was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in November 2006, will be enjoying many more holidays with her family thanks to a new treatment in Germany. At the time of her initial diagnosis, Brewer was only given a few months to survive.

Today, she’s able to spend time with her three children, Siobhan, 22, Richard, 19, and Kieran, 11. 

Brewer said, “It’s a miracle. It feels like I have been given my life back. After I was first diagnosed, the chance to see the children grow up, to see grandchildren, I thought I had lost all of it. Not even a lottery winner could feel like this. I haven’t taken it all in yet, but at the moment it is my little miracle.”

Brewer was able to afford the treatment after receiving compensation for contracting the disease. She was originally exposed to asbestos (the largest cause of mesothelioma) as a child by hugging her father after he came home from work.

Brewer first heard about the experimental treatment being carried out by Professor Thomas Vogl from her doctor, but only after she had already refused chemotherapy. She then decided to travel to The University Clinic in Frankfort, Germany and receive the treatment.

The treatment is referred to as chemoembolization and is typically used to fight liver cancer. The treatment calls for an injection directly to the tumor through a catheter.

Since starting the treatment in May, Brewer has expressed her joy because the doctors can attack the tumor without disturbing the nervous system as well.

Doctors now say her tumor has shrunk by more than half, is in remission, and will not come back at a later date. Since the arrival of good news, Brewer has started a campaign to have the treatment brought to the United Kingdom for clinical trials.

Brewer has said, “I want to give people hope. I was told for mesothelioma there is little out there, but the results in Germany are fantastic. It’s about a 60 percent success rate.”

For more information on mesothelioma treatment, visit the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 18th, 2008 at 4:38 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.