A YOUNG man from Wrangaton has explained why he rejected conventional treatment in his battle against an inoperable, terminal brain tumour.

Pablo Kelly was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma multiforme in September 2014 after suffering a series of seizures at work.

Pablo was told that his tumour could not be removed, with part in the parietal lobe, and part in the area of the brain that controls motor function. The average survival time for glioblastoma is just 12-18 months, with only three per cent of patients lasting more than three years. The prognosis was a crushing blow to Pablo’s family and loved ones.

His oncologist said that while radiotherapy or chemotherapy were no guarantee he would survive, with no treatment he would most likely be dead in 15 months. Pablo went as far as to be fitted for a radiotherapy mask, a rigid mould used to immobilise the patient during treatment - at which point he decided the process ’didn’t look too appealing’.

He began to research other, less conventional ways of fighting the tumour, aiming to stay alive for as long as possible while maintaining a reasonable quality of life. What really stood out, he said, was the ketogenic diet, a high fat, low carbohydrate diet proponents say starves the tumour of the glucose it needs to grow.

The diet is not recommended or funded by the NHS, with little research into its efficacy in treating brain tumours and other forms of cancer. But there are increasing calls for it to be taken more seriously as a way of countering the side effects of conventional therapies, and as a treatment in its own right.

So Pablo set out on the lonely path of fighting the tumour in his own way, against the received wisdom, with weapons dismissed by most as quackery. He has to measure his glucose and ketone levels twice a day and take a huge number of dietary supplements, working with an American company called Nutritional Solutions, whose consultants examine his blood test results and manage his diet precisely.

And so far, nearly two years on, he is surviving.

He said: ’I got the diagnosis, and all my plans for the future went out the window. I was going to have to have chemo, and I was probably going to die.

’My grandfather had chemo for liver cancer and I saw him on his deathbed, he was not a pretty sight. He was skin and bone, and yellow all over and I thought - I don’t want that for me.’

Pablo has quarterly scans to check the tumour, which has not got any bigger for several months. After each scan, he is told he does not need to see the oncologist, and to come back in three months

He continued: ’I can choose to die happy, or unhappy. My prognosis is still terminal, it’s still there. But the tumour hasn’t grown.

’I made the choice, but I didn’t realise I’d be the only one. Out of all the people I’ve met and spoken to, I’m the only one that hasn’t had any surgery, tumour removal, chemotherapy or radiation.

’But I’ve had two years of life, I’ve got my energy levels back, I can walk long distances. It’s very hard work keeping on top of it, and I can’t do much, I can’t go out and enjoy myself as it’s such a strict routine.

’But it’s a necessary evil to keep on living.

’I’m not rebelling against the NHS, I appreciate they still see me. But what they were offering, the three per cent chance and the quality of life they offer is less than I can have on this diet.

’It’s a real financial struggle. Even though I’m saving the NHS something like £8,000 a month by not having chemo, I don’t get any of that to help myself.

’The GPs have been great, and one said that if he was me, he’d do the same. But most other people in the NHS are scared to say that.

’They need to look more at diet as part of cancer treatment, I think they should be promoting it more than they are.

’My goal when I was first diagnosed was that I was going to live for 20 years. Not many people have a positive outlook, but I’ve tried not to give up even though it’s been hard.’

Charities and most mainstream medical practitioners are reluctant to endorse a nutritional approach to cancer treatment without much more research. Studies are however increasingly looking at the role of the ketogenic diet in combating brain tumours, including work being done at Charing Cross Hospital in London.

The Brain Tumour Charity sets out its position on the diet at www.thebraintumourcharity.org/ketogenic-diet. Chief executive Sarah Lindsell said: ’We are delighted to hear that Pablo is doing well.

’We know there are not enough effective drug treatments for glioblastoma, which is why we are committed to investing millions of pounds in research into the disease.

’But we would urge anyone who is considering the ketogenic diet to talk to their doctor first, to ensure there are no reasons why it might cause them further health problems.’

Pablo and his family and friends need to fundraise constantly in order to pay for the supplements, special food and equipment he needs to continue his fight for life. To support him, visit www.gofundme.com/fkft14.