Retired pastor credits recovery from 6 brain tumors to his faith in God

February 20, 2015  21:30

In 1981, Scott Erdman was studying to become a pastor when he was diagnosed with melanoma. Six brain tumors and multiple systemic tumors later, he has won his battle with cancer— a feat he credits to his faith and cutting-edge medical technology.

Erdman had fought cancer for nearly half his life. At age 24, he spotted the first sign of the disease: a small lump in his armpit. Doctors removed a tumor and 24 surrounding lymph nodes, and he celebrated being cancer-free for five years in spite of a three-year prognosis.

In 1991, he began getting headaches. An MRI scan revealed three brain tumors, all in highly sensitive areas of the brain. The largest was the size of an orange.

For patients with brain metastases for melanoma, life expectancy with whole-brain radiation— the standard treatment for tumors at the time— is about a year. However, the treatment also radiates normal brain tissue, and if a patient lives beyond three years, consequences of the procedure include intellectual and memory decline, and cognitive impairment. Plus, metastatic melanoma is not sensitive to radiation, Erdman’s neurosurgeon, Dr. Keith Black, told FoxNews.com.

While in the emergency room at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, Erdman first met Black, who believed he could do better than the standard treatment and opted to surgically remove the tumors. Next, Black used stereotactic radiation therapy— also known as the XKnife, a new procedure at the time— to aim X-ray beams directly at the area with the tumors.

Black noted that although Erdman ended up developing tumors again, they would’ve recurred even with radiation and the long-term consequences were not worth the risk.

“I didn’t expect removing these three tumors surgically would cure him of his melanoma— I did believe it would give him a year or two before new [ones developed],” Black said.

The surgery was successful, but Erdman began having seizures unexpectedly. The first grand mal seizure, the type that involves physical seizing of the body, occurred while he was driving. Taking anti-seizure medication hasn’t seemed to help suppress the seizures, but Erdman continues to take them as a precaution.

Two years after his brain surgery, another tumor appeared. Fortunately, the imaging technology had improved enough so that doctors were able to find the brain tumor, remove it, and have Erdman out of the hospital in two days. Black followed Erdman’s health carefully with high-resolution MRI scans.

Cancer returned in 1994, and Erdman had to have his left kidney, spleen, part of his pancreas, and some lymph nodes removed.

Black, who moved to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and is now the chairman of and a professor in the department of neurosurgery, continued to monitor Erdman, and in 2008— 14 years since his last cancer battle— found two small lesions. He operated, using Gamma Knife radiosurgery, which uses tiny beams of radiation to precisely target a tumor, and Erdman has been in remission since 2010.

Black said Erdman is among a small percentage of patients who had an initial prognosis of about a year— or less than a 5 percent chance of living two to three years— but has now lived 20 years without evidence of tumors.

While Erdman is thankful for the medical care he has received, he credits his survival to one thing.

“I can tell you, the reason I’m alive is because of God, no question in my mind. I’ve got the greatest neurosurgeon the world has to offer, and I’m grateful because he’s been able to destroy tumors that others might not have been able to …  Doctors don’t think I should be here today,” he said.

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