A mom who was given just three years to live after a heartbreaking diagnosis is now free from breast cancer, thanks to a “miraculous” treatment. Judy Perkins’ cancer journey first began in 2003 when she was informed that she had stage zero breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and hormone therapy. Treatments were successful, and the Florida mom of two believed she was cancer-free until she received the devastating news ten years later: her breast cancer had returned and was stage IV. The 56-year-old woman had been told her diagnosis was terminal and she had been given a life expectancy of around three years, reports the Mirror. However, in 2015 she turned to an experimental treatment at the National Institute of Health and now she is miraculously cancer free. Judy said she fully accepted her situation and that her husband and their two children, Chris and Charlie, were prepared for the worst outcome.
Tumours, because the memory of pediatric vaccines is essential for immunotherapy
The revolutionary treatment
After spending two years on chemotherapy to extend her life, the cancer spread and Judy developed a “bunch of tumors”. The mom pushed her doctor for a prognosis and was told she had about three years left to live. Judy said her “quality of life had deteriorated rapidly.” However, that changed when Judy signed up for a new treatment in 2015 in which scientists harvested her immune cells and multiplied them in a lab before injecting her with 80 billion cells. She was also put on an immunotherapy drug which helped Judy’s system and her condition started to improve.
The witness
Miraculously, just five months after starting treatment, Judy underwent a scan which showed she was now cancer free and has remained completely healthy ever since. He told SurvivorNet: “Things haven’t really changed. I’m keeping going back for scans.” Now they’ve put me on the annual plan, so I only have to go back once a year, and things remain very quiet, so I’m quite happy.” Judy explained, “This treatment has been used for over a decade now. “Nearly everyone who has had a complete response has remained cancer free. I’m not wasting time worrying if my cancer is coming back. I feel cured. I feel great.” Judy had previously appeared on ITV’s This Morning show with Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford to discuss her ‘death sentence’ diagnosis. She told the hosts about the immunotherapy trial and met with Stephanie Goff, MD, of the National Cancer Institute’s Center for Cancer Research.
The new life
To this day, Judy is still in good health and was able to watch her children grow up having been given a second chance at life. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK, with around 55,000 women and 370 men diagnosed each year.