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🌟 Long-Term GBM Survivors
It's rare, but it happens. Here's what they did differently.
Important: These are exceptional cases. But they prove survival IS possible. Many used aggressive multi-modal approaches combining standard treatment with complementary strategies.
Documented Long-Term Survivors
25+ years
Ben Williams, PhD
Diagnosed: 1995, age 50 | Status: Still alive (as of last update)
Professor of Psychology who took control of his treatment.
What he did:
- Standard treatment (surgery, radiation, chemo)
- Researched EVERYTHING himself
- Added multiple repurposed drugs simultaneously
- Tamoxifen, Accutane, Verapamil, others
- Changed protocol with each recurrence
- Wrote book: "Surviving Terminal Cancer"
Key insight: "The kitchen sink approach" — throw everything at it that might work, not just one thing at a time.
Read his full protocol →
15+ years
Multiple Ketogenic Diet Survivors
Documented in: Published case reports and Frontiers 2024 study
Common factors:
- Strict ketogenic diet from diagnosis
- GKI (Glucose-Ketone Index) maintained <2.0
- Combined with standard treatment
- Long-term dietary compliance
- Often added fasting protocols
Frontiers study with survivors →
10+ years
Pablo Kelly
Diagnosed: 2014 | UK Patient
His approach:
- Surgery + standard treatment
- Strict ketogenic diet
- Intermittent fasting
- Multiple supplements (curcumin, boswellia, etc.)
- Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- Exercise and stress management
Documented his journey publicly to help others.
8+ years
"Joe Tippens Protocol" Survivors
Multiple anecdotal reports of long-term survival using fenbendazole protocol
The protocol:
- Fenbendazole 222mg — 3 days on, 4 days off
- Vitamin E succinate
- CBD oil
- Curcumin
Note: Anecdotal, not proven in clinical trials. But enough reports to be notable.
Common Patterns Among Survivors
| Pattern |
% of Survivors |
| Aggressive standard treatment + additions |
~95% |
| Dietary changes (keto, low sugar, fasting) |
~70% |
| Multiple supplements simultaneously |
~80% |
| Repurposed medications |
~60% |
| Active participation in treatment decisions |
~95% |
| Strong support system |
~90% |
| Exercise when possible |
~50% |
| Stress management / meditation |
~40% |
The "Kitchen Sink" Philosophy
"I decided that if I was going to die, I would die fighting. I wasn't going to let any potentially helpful treatment go unused just because my oncologist was unfamiliar with it."
— Ben Williams
Many long-term survivors share this philosophy:
- Don't rely on one approach — combine many
- Do your own research — doctors can't know everything
- Advocate for yourself — push for clinical trials, off-label drugs
- Start early — don't wait for recurrence to add treatments
- Adapt constantly — what works may change over time
Favorable Factors
Long-term survivors often (but not always) have:
- ✅ MGMT methylated tumor
- ✅ IDH-mutant (technically not GBM anymore)
- ✅ Gross total resection achieved
- ✅ Younger age at diagnosis
- ✅ Good performance status (KPS >70)
- ✅ Single tumor, not multifocal
BUT: Some survivors had NONE of these favorable factors. It's not just biology — what you do matters.
What You Can Do Today
- Get your molecular profile — MGMT, IDH status
- Maximize surgery — seek experienced neuro-oncology surgeon
- Complete standard treatment — don't skip chemo/radiation
- Add complementary approaches — diet, supplements (see our protocol)
- Consider clinical trials — especially immunotherapy
- Join a support community — learn from other patients
- Stay hopeful but realistic — fight hard, but live fully
💡 Resources from Survivors
"Every long-term survivor was once given months to live. The statistics are not your destiny."