![]() ![]() The device is housed in a nine-kilogram backpack that the patient wears 18 hours a day. Raymond wore Optune, a medical device that emits an electrical current to fight the growth of glioblastoma in the brain, 18 hours a day for 2 ½ years. "I think it was a huge, huge factor, if we want to call me still being here a success." Raymond credits a medical device, called Optune, with helping him survive years beyond his diagnosis. "It was an opportunity for the kids to see somebody actively working towards getting better and to see that, you know, it's not necessarily a death sentence," he said. While working as an outdoor educator in Ottawa with low-income teens, Raymond underwent traditional treatment, but also participated in a clinical trial. Those between 20 and 44 have a 14 per cent chance of living past the five-year mark, according to the Canadian Cancer Society - nearly double the rate. While Raymond was diagnosed at age 26, this form of cancer is not unheard of in younger patients.Īge can have a "dramatic effect on survival," Perry pointed out. He has treated hundreds of glioblastoma patients, including Gord Downie. James Perry is the head of neurology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. Those more remote regions may harbour residual cancer cells that can spark recurrence, he noted.ĭr. James Perry, the neuro-oncologist who treated Downie, explained that surgery may remove the bulk of a tumour, but often there are areas of the brain that can't safely be accessed. The exact cause of the disease is unknown.ĭr. Glioblastoma spreads quickly and is difficult to treat because as the tumour grows, it sends out finger-like tentacles that worm their way into surrounding brain tissue. Age can have 'dramatic effect on survival' "You reach out and you try to find some hope out there and, of course, every hopeful story that you land on ends with a little line that says, 'so-and-so passed away,'" Raymond said. Still, his chances of survival were bleak as he faced the daunting task of undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. Thirty-six hours later, he underwent surgery to remove it. He's pictured here with his sister, Andrée Ryan, centre. Raymond had surgery to remove the tumour, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. ![]()
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