Brain Surgeon Fights For His Own Life

Massive Brain Tumor Forces Doctor To Make Decisions He Usually Reserves For His Patients

(CBS)  Sam Hassenbusch glanced at an MRI from across the exam room one afternoon and could tell — clear as day — that he was looking at one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric reports.

"Glioblastoma. No question. Right temporal lobe. Whosever's MRI that is, is going to have a really tough time," Dr. Hassenbusch said. "That's about as ugly-looking as it gets."

But there was something very unusual about this case. That massive brain tumor the 51-year old brain surgeon was staring at was his own.

"The whole life just totally turned upside-down in the blink of an eye," he says. "I looked at that and said, 'I know the statistics. Well, it looks like I'm going to be going home to see the Lord in person a lot sooner than I guessed.'"

Most people die within a year from it.

"It's a very bad cancer," says neuro-oncologist Mark Gilbert, a friend of Hassenbusch's. "The first thing you think is, "Oh my, you know, this is going to be a very difficult road."

For Hassenbusch and his family, the road to recovery began with surgery to remove as much as the tumor as possible. The surgery would prove to be a huge challenge.

"The analogy would be like if you take a salt shaker and unscrew the top and dump it on the table, what your surgeon is doing, is getting rid of the mound of salt," says Dr. Amy Beth Heimberger, a neurosurgeon at MD Anderson Cancer Center. "They can't get rid of every grain of salt."

The operation took almost four hours. Doctors removed nearly all of the tumor. And despite some temporary double vision, by the very next day, he was tracking his own progress from the ICU. Now it was time to focus again on saving a life ... this time, his own.

"Basically, It's a death sentence; 33-to-1. Odds (are), I'm gonna die," Hassenbusch says.

With the odds so dramatically stacked against him, Hassenbusch had to make the kind of critical care decisions he usually reserves for his patients. What his doctors discovered could help you or a loved one understand the options you may have, and help you turn knowledge into power.

(Tomorrow: Find out how Hassenbusch's decisions and treatment can help you with your own options.)

---

For more information:

The Brain Tumor Society's Web site offers patient-centered information and support resources.

The American Brain Tumor Association has additional resources.

The Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada has additional information.

The National Brain Tumor Foundation has additional information and resources.

© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Add a Comment See all 18 Comments

by theguide63 March 23, 2007 11:05 AM EDT

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone and their families who are going through this. We know all to well how it effects you. I ,too, was diagnoised with GBS 2 years ago. I was operated on and have gone through radiation and kemo. I see my Dr. once a month and am on my 23rd round of kemo. I go to Eastern Maine Med. Ctr. in Bangor,Maine and have had fantastic care. I feel great and have been able to resume my work as a logger and a Registered Maine Guide. We live in a small comunity and have had tremendous support. Keep the faith and live and again our prayers are with everyone. Thank you.
Ken Swallow Jr.

Reply to this comment

by gteeny March 23, 2007 2:51 AM EDT

Thank you so much for the info. I am divorced 47 yr old, mother of two, manage a garden center when I started to have symptoms.My eyes were opened when I flipped twice and tried to climb a telephone pole with my Toyota for no apparent reason. I had surgery on 1/29/07 and was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme. The outlook definitely will rock you! My surgeon,Dr. Claudio Feler told me about Dr. Hassenbusch and I've gone to MD Anderson and had a consult with Dr. Mark Gilbert. I hope to qualify for some of the protocols and possibly this injection, but right now insurance woes are possibly standing in the way of the best treatment options. Would love some help in trying to figure out the options that are available.Thanks to all and prayers go out to Dr. Hassenbusch!

Reply to this comment

by psara1-2009 March 22, 2007 10:46 PM EDT

To all, my wishes go to you in every thought. My fiance has been going under treatment for this cancer for almost a year now. We just watched the story about Dr. Sam Hassenbusch and would like to know more about the therapy ( the shot ) that he is receiving along with chemo since my fiance is going to Duke as well. I don't know what to say to you all, but i can understand how you're feeling, and please be strong, we all should be.

To Irisho3: I just want to ask you more about the vaccines that your family member is taking! thank you, and best to him.

Reply to this comment

by barryturano March 22, 2007 5:39 PM EDT

Our grandson (3 years old) has a "pilocytic astrocytoma" about 70% of the tumor was removed in October. The balance is in-operable due to its location. It is in the optic pathway and also attached to the pituitary gland. He went for another MRI today we are waiting for results. There is no option available due to it's location other than "Chemo" which the consencous of opinions is to wait as long as possible because of his age. The side effects can be rather severe in a child. From all that I have read this is an "orphan disease" with not much funding going to research. The only bright side is that if you if you ever met Chase you would never think that anything is wrong. We all pray everyday for a miracle.
Barry Turano

Reply to this comment

by ajaxrose1 March 22, 2007 4:01 PM EDT

My heart goes out to anyone having to deal with this. It seems so empty to say to someone else "be strong, keep the faith," but what else can a person say? I'm sorry to what you're going through and will hope for the best for you.

Reply to this comment

by ajaxrose1 March 22, 2007 4:00 PM EDT

My heart goes out to anyone having to deal with this. It seems so empty to say to someone else "be strong, keep the faith," but what else can a person say? I'm sorry to what you're going through and will hope for the best for you.

Reply to this comment

by irisho3 March 22, 2007 2:36 PM EDT

A very dear family member was diagnosed with GBM 36 months ago. I am happy to report he is doing very well. He was referred to the Duke Brain Tumor Center right after his surgery. He does receive monthly vaccines at Duke and has not had a recurrence. We are so grateful to the dedicated staff at Duke. Our family motto is "Keep the Faith" and "Go Duke".

Reply to this comment

by sro207 March 22, 2007 1:11 PM EDT

...correction: the song was "Perfect Peace" by Marvin Sapp.

Sondra

Reply to this comment

by March 22, 2007 1:00 PM EDT

Brain cancer affects people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. No one knows what causes it, and no one knows how to cure it. It is the cruelest form of cancer, since it at its worst, it steals not only your physical functions, but also your very personality, your memory, your awareness of what you used to know and who you are.

Raising awareness is the first step - thank you Katie Couric and CBS News for airing this story. Keep the focus on this terrible disease with more stories and more in depth reporting.

All of us can help, even if we aren't in the public eye. I'm supporting brain tumor research as one way to help someone very important to me.

Craig is the love of my life. He has gliosarcoma, which is the rarest and most aggressive type of glioblastoma (brain cancer), affecting less than 1% of people with brain cancer each year. He was diagnosed in March 2006. There were no warning signs, and this is common with brain tumors. A person diagnosed with gliosarcoma is told they have less than a year to live. He's beating the odds and I believe his strong immune system and focus on nutrition is helping. He's working with Dr. Jeanne Wallace, a world renowned nutritionist who specializes in brain tumor patients.

Reply to this comment

by March 22, 2007 1:00 PM EDT

Brain cancer affects people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. No one knows what causes it, and no one knows how to cure it. It is the cruelest form of cancer, since it at its worst, it steals not only your physical functions, but also your very personality, your memory, your awareness of what you used to know and who you are.

Raising awareness is the first step - thank you Katie Couric and CBS News for airing this story. Keep the focus on this terrible disease with more stories and more in depth reporting.

All of us can help, even if we aren't in the public eye. I'm supporting brain tumor research as one way to help someone very important to me.

Craig is the love of my life. He has gliosarcoma, which is the rarest and most aggressive type of glioblastoma (brain cancer), affecting less than 1% of people with brain cancer each year. He was diagnosed in March 2006. There were no warning signs, and this is common with brain tumors. A person diagnosed with gliosarcoma is told they have less than a year to live. He's beating the odds and I believe his strong immune system and focus on nutrition is helping. He's working with Dr. Jeanne Wallace, a world renowned nutritionist who specializes in brain tumor patients.

Reply to this comment

by sro207 March 22, 2007 12:49 PM EDT

GREEN-ONE, I was sitting and listening to a song on gospel radio station, 95.7 Halleluyah FM, one evening, just worshipping the Lord. The song "Perfect Praise" by Marvin Sapp was on, and I just continued to worship in God's presence, when He said "This is how you live." He was saying that when you you worship, you aware of His presence and that is where how you live--in His presence. Worship is a lifestyle.

God bless you !

Sondra

Reply to this comment

by nena624 March 22, 2007 11:12 AM EDT

To Dr. Sam Hassenbusch, My prayers are with you and to everyone who has made comments here on the site. I am nowhere near experiencing anything like this so I honestly do not know what it feels like to be there but I am gasping for air as it is just hearing the news. Remember that when your time comes to be with the high power....try to be glad to go to a better place although I am sure you would want to be here with your family a little longer. Again, my prayers to you and your health and hope they find either a cure or a way of extending your life span more than predicted or diagnosed!!!

Reply to this comment

by rolfster-2009 March 22, 2007 5:36 AM EDT

I know exactly how Dr. Hassenbusch feels, as I was diagnosed with GBM some 15 months ago, and like him there is no sign yet of my cancer. I don't believe it ever needs to be a death sentence as there is a cure currently being studied in several cancer research centers across the country, one of them being the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research Center. The study is testing a product called the NOVO-Cure and uses electrodes positioned around the head to deliver an electrical pulse to the brain. Under the microscope you can see the cancer cells exploding as they try to reproduce, leaving healthy cells untouched. I had electrical treatments done as part of my acupuncture after radiation, and feel this has had a dramatic effect on why I am doing so well. Not only that, but anyone can purchase their own cancer zapper for under $100 online. The cancer research being done now is proving that this is not quackery. Go ahead, check it out!

Reply to this comment

by mwessels1 March 22, 2007 5:34 AM EDT

My husband is 28 and has glioblastoma. He has had three brain sugeries in five years (two brain sugeries in the last year) and is currently under going over a year of different chemo treatments (both standard and experimental). The brain tumor has become very aggressive.
We have a seven month old daughter that he currently stays home with. I was a month and a half pregnant when his cancer returned after over 5 years remission.
We would love to have as much information available on glioblastomas, treatment options and centers around the world. We have been to Corvallis and Salem, Oregon and University of San Fransisco Medical Center, California.
Because he is very young and other than the cancer very healthy, he is a good canidate for newer treatments. He is so positive and remains such a rock for all of us. I don't know what I would do with-out him.
We would love a fresh perspective on whats out there.

Reply to this comment

by feathrd7 March 22, 2007 1:10 AM EDT

I applaud Katie Couric's efforts to raise awareness about colon cancer and she has used her celebrity to do so. There have been many times that I tried to reach 'The today Show' to get them to support raising awareness about brain tumors-they featured many that suffered from them; celebrities that have survived yet haven't promoted awareness. This, of course, is the problem with Brain tumors, those that are affected can't always be consistent in their efforts. We need to raise awareness so that instead of 90% that die from this disease will now survive the disease as many other "recognized" cancers. After all, until we raise awareness, no one gets an MRI until symptoms present, and with a brain tumor, that is usually very late stage of the disease. Early detection and intervention is crucial to saving one's personna and life. May 1-7 is Brain tumor Awareness Week...let's begin to publicize this nationally. There are so many stories to tell, May is Brain injury month....more support is needed now that traumatic brain injuries are the leading injury of our veterans returning from Iraq. Please help. www.braintumorawareness.org

Reply to this comment

by green-one March 22, 2007 1:01 AM EDT

Sondra,
Your story is very interesting! What do you think was meant when God said to you "This is how you live." ? How did you interpret that?

Reply to this comment

by ALLYGIRL1026 March 22, 2007 12:42 AM EDT

My doctor died from a brain tumor that was not found until after he had told me the only thing that would help me was shock treatment and after over twenty treatments and my memory destroyed. He was well respected doctor but I was later told that the tumor was the reason he told me that. Now I cannot work because my memory isn't back my cognitive thinking is probably messed up for life. Who should be held accountable? I feel bad for my doctor and his family but shouldn't there be some way to have doctors tested or something?

Reply to this comment

by sro207 March 21, 2007 11:03 PM EDT

This is only for the glory of God, and I hope that it helps someone: Last year I was diagnosed with cancer. Long story short, I had surgery on Friday, July 7, and the morning of Saturday, July 8, the God said to me "No cancer," and the lab reports confirmed. However, weeks before I had surgery, God spoke three things specifically: 1) Eat your fruits and vegetables, 2) Your blood sugar is too high, and 3), during an evening worship, He said "This is how you live."

I encourage anyone, with or without cancer, and no matter what kind of cancer, to heed these words. And when your health springs forth, give God all the glory and praise!

In Him,
Sondra O.

Reply to this comment

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[theguide63]

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone and their families who are going through this. We know all to well how it effects you. I ,too, was diagnoised with GBS 2 years ago. I was operated on and have gone through radiation and kemo. I see my Dr. once a month and am on my 23rd round of kemo. I go to Eastern Maine Med. Ctr. in Bangor,Maine and have had fantastic care. I feel great and have been able to resume my work as a logger and a Registered Maine Guide. We live in a small comunity and have had tremendous support. Keep the faith and live and again our prayers are with everyone. Thank you.
Ken Swallow Jr.

[gteeny]

Thank you so much for the info. I am divorced 47 yr old, mother of two, manage a garden center when I started to have symptoms.My eyes were opened when I flipped twice and tried to climb a telephone pole with my Toyota for no apparent reason. I had surgery on 1/29/07 and was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme. The outlook definitely will rock you! My surgeon,Dr. Claudio Feler told me about Dr. Hassenbusch and I've gone to MD Anderson and had a consult with Dr. Mark Gilbert. I hope to qualify for some of the protocols and possibly this injection, but right now insurance woes are possibly standing in the way of the best treatment options. Would love some help in trying to figure out the options that are available.Thanks to all and prayers go out to Dr. Hassenbusch!

[psara1-2009]

To all, my wishes go to you in every thought. My fiance has been going under treatment for this cancer for almost a year now. We just watched the story about Dr. Sam Hassenbusch and would like to know more about the therapy ( the shot ) that he is receiving along with chemo since my fiance is going to Duke as well. I don't know what to say to you all, but i can understand how you're feeling, and please be strong, we all should be.

To Irisho3: I just want to ask you more about the vaccines that your family member is taking! thank you, and best to him.

[barryturano]

Our grandson (3 years old) has a "pilocytic astrocytoma" about 70% of the tumor was removed in October. The balance is in-operable due to its location. It is in the optic pathway and also attached to the pituitary gland. He went for another MRI today we are waiting for results. There is no option available due to it's location other than "Chemo" which the consencous of opinions is to wait as long as possible because of his age. The side effects can be rather severe in a child. From all that I have read this is an "orphan disease" with not much funding going to research. The only bright side is that if you if you ever met Chase you would never think that anything is wrong. We all pray everyday for a miracle.
Barry Turano

[ajaxrose1]

My heart goes out to anyone having to deal with this. It seems so empty to say to someone else "be strong, keep the faith," but what else can a person say? I'm sorry to what you're going through and will hope for the best for you.

[ajaxrose1]

My heart goes out to anyone having to deal with this. It seems so empty to say to someone else "be strong, keep the faith," but what else can a person say? I'm sorry to what you're going through and will hope for the best for you.

[irisho3]

A very dear family member was diagnosed with GBM 36 months ago. I am happy to report he is doing very well. He was referred to the Duke Brain Tumor Center right after his surgery. He does receive monthly vaccines at Duke and has not had a recurrence. We are so grateful to the dedicated staff at Duke. Our family motto is "Keep the Faith" and "Go Duke".

[sro207]

...correction: the song was "Perfect Peace" by Marvin Sapp.

Sondra

Brain cancer affects people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. No one knows what causes it, and no one knows how to cure it. It is the cruelest form of cancer, since it at its worst, it steals not only your physical functions, but also your very personality, your memory, your awareness of what you used to know and who you are.

Raising awareness is the first step - thank you Katie Couric and CBS News for airing this story. Keep the focus on this terrible disease with more stories and more in depth reporting.

All of us can help, even if we aren't in the public eye. I'm supporting brain tumor research as one way to help someone very important to me.

Craig is the love of my life. He has gliosarcoma, which is the rarest and most aggressive type of glioblastoma (brain cancer), affecting less than 1% of people with brain cancer each year. He was diagnosed in March 2006. There were no warning signs, and this is common with brain tumors. A person diagnosed with gliosarcoma is told they have less than a year to live. He's beating the odds and I believe his strong immune system and focus on nutrition is helping. He's working with Dr. Jeanne Wallace, a world renowned nutritionist who specializes in brain tumor patients.

Brain cancer affects people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. No one knows what causes it, and no one knows how to cure it. It is the cruelest form of cancer, since it at its worst, it steals not only your physical functions, but also your very personality, your memory, your awareness of what you used to know and who you are.

Raising awareness is the first step - thank you Katie Couric and CBS News for airing this story. Keep the focus on this terrible disease with more stories and more in depth reporting.

All of us can help, even if we aren't in the public eye. I'm supporting brain tumor research as one way to help someone very important to me.

Craig is the love of my life. He has gliosarcoma, which is the rarest and most aggressive type of glioblastoma (brain cancer), affecting less than 1% of people with brain cancer each year. He was diagnosed in March 2006. There were no warning signs, and this is common with brain tumors. A person diagnosed with gliosarcoma is told they have less than a year to live. He's beating the odds and I believe his strong immune system and focus on nutrition is helping. He's working with Dr. Jeanne Wallace, a world renowned nutritionist who specializes in brain tumor patients.

[sro207]

GREEN-ONE, I was sitting and listening to a song on gospel radio station, 95.7 Halleluyah FM, one evening, just worshipping the Lord. The song "Perfect Praise" by Marvin Sapp was on, and I just continued to worship in God's presence, when He said "This is how you live." He was saying that when you you worship, you aware of His presence and that is where how you live--in His presence. Worship is a lifestyle.

God bless you !

Sondra

[nena624]

To Dr. Sam Hassenbusch, My prayers are with you and to everyone who has made comments here on the site. I am nowhere near experiencing anything like this so I honestly do not know what it feels like to be there but I am gasping for air as it is just hearing the news. Remember that when your time comes to be with the high power....try to be glad to go to a better place although I am sure you would want to be here with your family a little longer. Again, my prayers to you and your health and hope they find either a cure or a way of extending your life span more than predicted or diagnosed!!!

[rolfster-2009]

I know exactly how Dr. Hassenbusch feels, as I was diagnosed with GBM some 15 months ago, and like him there is no sign yet of my cancer. I don't believe it ever needs to be a death sentence as there is a cure currently being studied in several cancer research centers across the country, one of them being the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research Center. The study is testing a product called the NOVO-Cure and uses electrodes positioned around the head to deliver an electrical pulse to the brain. Under the microscope you can see the cancer cells exploding as they try to reproduce, leaving healthy cells untouched. I had electrical treatments done as part of my acupuncture after radiation, and feel this has had a dramatic effect on why I am doing so well. Not only that, but anyone can purchase their own cancer zapper for under $100 online. The cancer research being done now is proving that this is not quackery. Go ahead, check it out!

[mwessels1]

My husband is 28 and has glioblastoma. He has had three brain sugeries in five years (two brain sugeries in the last year) and is currently under going over a year of different chemo treatments (both standard and experimental). The brain tumor has become very aggressive.
We have a seven month old daughter that he currently stays home with. I was a month and a half pregnant when his cancer returned after over 5 years remission.
We would love to have as much information available on glioblastomas, treatment options and centers around the world. We have been to Corvallis and Salem, Oregon and University of San Fransisco Medical Center, California.
Because he is very young and other than the cancer very healthy, he is a good canidate for newer treatments. He is so positive and remains such a rock for all of us. I don't know what I would do with-out him.
We would love a fresh perspective on whats out there.

[feathrd7]

I applaud Katie Couric's efforts to raise awareness about colon cancer and she has used her celebrity to do so. There have been many times that I tried to reach 'The today Show' to get them to support raising awareness about brain tumors-they featured many that suffered from them; celebrities that have survived yet haven't promoted awareness. This, of course, is the problem with Brain tumors, those that are affected can't always be consistent in their efforts. We need to raise awareness so that instead of 90% that die from this disease will now survive the disease as many other "recognized" cancers. After all, until we raise awareness, no one gets an MRI until symptoms present, and with a brain tumor, that is usually very late stage of the disease. Early detection and intervention is crucial to saving one's personna and life. May 1-7 is Brain tumor Awareness Week...let's begin to publicize this nationally. There are so many stories to tell, May is Brain injury month....more support is needed now that traumatic brain injuries are the leading injury of our veterans returning from Iraq. Please help. www.braintumorawareness.org

[green-one]

Sondra,
Your story is very interesting! What do you think was meant when God said to you "This is how you live." ? How did you interpret that?

[ALLYGIRL1026]

My doctor died from a brain tumor that was not found until after he had told me the only thing that would help me was shock treatment and after over twenty treatments and my memory destroyed. He was well respected doctor but I was later told that the tumor was the reason he told me that. Now I cannot work because my memory isn't back my cognitive thinking is probably messed up for life. Who should be held accountable? I feel bad for my doctor and his family but shouldn't there be some way to have doctors tested or something?

[sro207]

This is only for the glory of God, and I hope that it helps someone: Last year I was diagnosed with cancer. Long story short, I had surgery on Friday, July 7, and the morning of Saturday, July 8, the God said to me "No cancer," and the lab reports confirmed. However, weeks before I had surgery, God spoke three things specifically: 1) Eat your fruits and vegetables, 2) Your blood sugar is too high, and 3), during an evening worship, He said "This is how you live."

I encourage anyone, with or without cancer, and no matter what kind of cancer, to heed these words. And when your health springs forth, give God all the glory and praise!

In Him,
Sondra O.