Less than three years ago, Tina Willits, now 53, thought she had just two years to live.
Today, she is cancer free and wants the world to know about the treatment that saved her.
The Florida mother and grandmother first felt a lump in late 2021, just months after a normal mammogram.
In March 2022, she discovered she had HER2-positive breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease in which cancer cells have an abnormally high level of a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2).
“I still remember the doctor coming in and telling us it was in my lymph nodes, ribs, spine, sternum and bones,” Willits told Fox News Digital during an on-camera interview.
Willits was told she had tumors the size of golf balls and that the disease was too advanced for a mastectomy.
She underwent chemotherapy at the end of her care and was told to “enjoy the time you have left”.
“The doctor told me, ‘We will try to stop the progression’, but she said ‘the best we can offer you is about 24 months.’
“I wanted it to go away.”
Willits wasn’t satisfied with just stopping the progression of her cancer.
“I have five biological children and I was raising two of my bonus babies and had four grandchildren at the time,” she said. That was my intention. And I remember my oncologist telling me that would never happen.”
After doing some of her research, Willits learned about an alternative treatment called immunotherapy, which uses the body’s immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells.
For decades, the main treatments for cancer have been chemotherapy, radiation and surgery – but some experts are calling immunotherapy the “fourth pillar” of cancer treatments.
In her search, she came across Dr. Jason R. Williams of the Williams Cancer Institute in California, which offers a new cancer therapy that uses cold gases and body cells to freeze and fight tumors.
“Immunotherapy teaches the immune system to attack cancer,” Williams told Fox News Digital. “So, like a vaccine, it can give you a long-term, sustainable response. That’s what it takes to achieve healing.”
Willits and her husband went to the doctor, who immediately began to examine her case.
“She was physically in good shape, even though her cancer was advanced,” Williams said of Willits. “She was on chemotherapy, but she still remained in very good health, even though it was advanced and metastatic.”
He added, “I was confident, but cautious. Cancer is a very challenging enemy.”
Williams offered Willits something he hadn’t had until then: hope.
“He was just incredible. After seeing all my tests, he said, ‘I can heal you,'” she told Fox News Digital. “And you don’t understand those words as a stage 4 patient.”
Six weeks after receiving a course of immunotherapy treatments — involving supplements to boost the immune system and cryoablation, a procedure that uses freezing temperatures to destroy cancer cells — a PET scan revealed that Willits’ cancer was gone.
Today, Willits said, she is stable and healthy.
“I exercise every day. I am part of my family’s life every day. We think the cancer is completely behind us – and that was almost a mission impossible,” she said.
“People ask me all the time, you know, how did you cure cancer? And I say, “Well, God led me to Dr. Williams.”
Williams believes immunotherapy is the future of cancer treatments.
“First we have to target the tumor directly, injecting immunotherapy into it,” he said.
“In the future, the patient will be diagnosed with a suspicious lesion and at the time of the initial biopsy, we will start his treatment by injecting immunotherapy.”
Balancing risks and benefits
While immunotherapy has shown promise as an alternative treatment, it comes with its own risks and limitations for certain patient groups.
“Patients with autoimmune diseases have a higher risk because the immune system is more primed to attack normal tissue as well,” Williams warned.
“Although the risks are higher, we have techniques to overcome this, and so the benefits outweigh the risks.”
Brian Slomovitz, director of gynecologic oncology and co-chair of the Cancer Research Committee at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Florida, noted that immunotherapy has transformed the way many cancers are treated, but that it is not always effective.
“It’s important to understand that it’s not helpful for all patients,” said Slomovitz, who was not involved in Willits’ care.
“As oncologists, we don’t want to expose a patient to a drug that may increase the risk of side effects without a clinical benefit.”
However, in “properly selected” patients, Slomovitz believes immunotherapy can prolong the time to cancer recurrence and overall survival rates.
“I am excited to watch as the field of immuno-oncology continues to evolve.”
Willits now aims to raise awareness of the availability of this treatment, as many women assume chemotherapy, radiation and surgery are their only options.
“The reality is there are women out there who don’t know it exists,” she said. “And if we can get the word out, I can’t even tell you how many hundreds of women we can save.”
She also said, “I can’t even imagine if I would have stayed the course of traditional treatment and just tried to stop the progression. I mean, it’s outside my body. He’s gone. Life is back to normal again. And I’m very grateful.”
While Willits’ prognosis is “excellent,” Williams stressed that “we always have to be careful and continue to monitor — Any person who has had cancer before certainly has a higher-than-normal risk of another cancer or a repetition.”
For patients just starting their cancer journey, Williams says it’s critical to take the time to fully research options.
“Many off-label medications and supplements that are available can help improve treatment outcomes, and exploring immunotherapy should always be a priority,” he added.
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