In the mid-2000s Bob Kaufman was living a very active life that involved a wide range of sports. He always maintained a nutritious diet and was very healthy overall. That changed in 2008, when he began to feel tired and bloated. Bob’s active lifestyle took a hit and he could no longer keep up with his active wife.
When the symptoms didn’t get any better, his local doctor ordered tests and discovered it was 4th-stage non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Bob was 48 years old and faced a decade of cancer treatments to deal with this form of cancer. There was no permanent cure for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and the Kaufman family was devastated by the news.
A year and a half later, after a stem cell transplant, Mr Kaufman walked out of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston — in complete remission. He writes about the story in his new book, “Replenished: How Stem Cells Cured My Cancer.”
Kaufman’s transplant doctor Dr. Issa Khouri, is hesitant about using the word “cured” in relation to cancer, but he says that he is “very likely” cured of the disease. After the stem cell transplant, Bob has returned to his normal activities including running, skiing and golfing.
Kaufman received chemotherapy to kill the cancer cells in his bloodstream and bone marrow. When the cancer cells are killed, many healthy cells are also killed, leaving the body incapable of producing enough red blood cells to remain healthy. This is where the stem cell transplant comes in. After a stem cell transplant consisting of hematopoietic stem cells, Bob’s ability to produce healthy blood cells is renewed.
After the stem cell therapy, his body’s immune system has to rebuild itself. During this time Mr Kaufman had to be kept in isolation because his immune system was dangerously weakened. Once the stem cells have re-established the body’s ability to produce healthy blood cells it is back to normal!
Bob decided to write about his story to give hope and encouragement to others who have been diagnosed with cancer.
Source: Five years after stem cell transplant, Bob Kaufman is back running
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