As we prepare for Burzynski’s upcoming hearing in front of the Texas Medical Board in November, and anticipating that people who happen to have survived Burzynski’s and support him unquestioningly will rally for him as they have in the past, we are telling the stories of patients who have supported him in court, in the political arena, and in the media to find out what happens to patients who defend him. So far we have written about Burzynski patient Elke B., Burzynski patient Douglas W., Burzynski patient Janet C., Burzynski patient Sen. Ed G., McKenzie L, and Alice C. These patients may not be testifying in the upcoming trial, but their stories are perhaps the most important and are far more eloquent and revealing.

In September 2011, Carol M. was diagnosed with stage IV, triple negative, inflammatory breast cancer. This is a very bad diagnosis, and the median survival time for patients diagnosed with stage four IBC cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, is about 21 months, which means half of patients live 21 months past diagnosis. The “triple-negative” means that the tumor will not respond to receptor targeted treatments, though it is responsive to other chemotherapy. It’s aggressive and very likely to recur.

As Carol tells the story on April 25, 2012, because she had a younger relative die the previous year of the same disease:

[W]e decided to look for a treatment other than the traditional protocols. A friend recommended Suzanne Somers’ book, Knockout, and, with no other treatment beforehand, we went straight to the Burzynski Clinic. I feel kind of like a poster child for Dr. B.’s Clinic.

She also watched Eric Merola’s uncritical patient exploitation film, Burzynski: Cancer is a Serious Business, which is staggeringly unconvincing to experts, but is eagerly received by the desperate. Suzanne Somers’ medical advice is absurd and dangerous.

As stage IV suggests, by the time the cancer was detected, it had spread through her body. Later we hear that she is watching a large tumor in her breast, two lymph nodes, a tumor in her abdomen, and one on her rib.

In October 2011, Carol is in Houston at the Burzynski Clinic. The regimen she describes is what the clinic sells as “gene-targeted therapy,” but is basically just an untested chemo cocktail with a sodium phenylbuterate chaser. This is the same witch’s brew that was recommended by the Burzynski boys to poor Kathy B. who said that she:

made this video [of a patient visit with Greg Burzynski] in anticipation that I would be receiving the antineoplastons. Apparently after spending over 30,000 here I found out that the Antineoplastons are only reserved for brain cancer patients who have already undergone chemo radiation. FDA put this restriction on the Burzynski Clinic, so any other cancer patients are BASICALLY ONLY GETTING THE TRADITIOINAL ALLOPATHIC TREATMENTS OF SYNTHETIC ANTINEOPLASON PILLS THAT DID NOTHING FOR ME.

We don’t hear what chemotherapies she is using. Breast cancer patient Denise D. ( a truly heartbreaking story) was on Xometa, Xeloda, Zolinza, Tarceva. Real drugs. So maybe we should not be completely surprised that after two months of chemotherapy, in December of 2012, the tumor is responding. A few of the tumors are not visible and there no new nodules on her scan. This is not a miracle; this is chemotherapy.

She signed a petition on Burzynski’s behalf in March, where she describes herself as “stable.”

In June, she reports she is in remission:

Of course, she has been on chemotherapy, so I don’t know why she is giving Burzynski undue credit.

Then in July, something ominous. Absolutely no details, however:

On July 30, bad news.

Carol M. died on Jan 22, 2013, about 16 months out from diagnosis, about five months short of the median survival.

For reliable information about clinical trials, visit clinicaltrials.gov. Please contribute to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, which cares for sick children even if they can’t pay