Health
Breast cancer patient says new type of chemo saved her life: ‘I am thriving’
Just as no two cancers are the same, treatment isn’t one-size-fits-all — and for one Arizona mother and teacher, personalized chemotherapy became the path to survival.
Tammy Morrow, 55, had been healthy for decades when, after seeing a doctor for what she thought was a stomach bug in December 2023, she was blindsided by a diagnosis of stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.
The cancer had spread to her bones, lymph nodes, liver and other areas, she told Fox News Digital. It became evident fairly quickly that her disease was beyond the scope of traditional treatments.
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“I received one round of traditional chemo in the hospital,” said Morrow, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. “After just the one treatment, all of my hair fell out within just eight days.”
Tammy Morrow, center, is pictured with her two sons, Gabriel and Izaak Morrow. “I am persuaded that I would not be alive today if I had not received care at Envita,” she told Fox News Digital. (Derek Morrow)
“The rapid hair loss demonstrates the systemic nature and toxicity of traditional chemo,” she added.
Morrow’s oncologist told her that she likely only had months to live, but she was determined to find another alternative.
Through her research, she found Envita Medical Center in Scottsdale, which offers a novel cancer treatment called Genetically Targeted Fractionated Chemotherapy (GTFC).
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“When I arrived at Envita, I was not taking in food orally, and for almost three months, I had to receive all of my nutrition from a catheter delivered directly into my veins,” Morrow said.
She began receiving GTFC treatments, which she credits as “essential to survival.”
“In just 21 weeks, my diagnosis changed from terminal to normal.”
“I am persuaded that I would not be alive today if I had not received care at Envita,” Morrow told Fox News Digital.
“Now, I am thriving.”
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Morrow’s last several blood tests have shown no evidence of disease, and her most recent PET scan in May confirmed that she is cancer-free.
“In just 21 weeks, my diagnosis changed from terminal to normal,” she said.
Making it personal
Genetically targeted fractionated chemotherapy (GTFC) is a targeted approach to cancer treatment that personalizes chemotherapy based on a patient’s genetic makeup and specific tumor biology, according to Dr. John Oertle, chief medical director at Envita Medical Centers.
Tammy Morrow is pictured with her husband, Derek Morrow, before her diagnosis. (Tammy Morrow)
“This method also enhances the tumor’s ability to absorb the chemotherapy, allowing us to use reduced dosages while maintaining effectiveness,” Oertle, who specializes in “individualized, outcome-based care models for chronic disease and integrative oncology,” told Fox News Digital.
GTFC is designed to deliver medicine with more precision while having fewer side effects, he noted.
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“Conventional chemotherapy targets all rapidly dividing cells, both cancerous and healthy, using high doses, which often leads to widespread side effects,” Oertle said.
“Additionally, we have found that 90% of patients on conventional chemotherapy are dealing with cancer that has already become resistant to it.”
Morrow had been healthy for decades when, after seeing a doctor for what she thought was a stomach bug in December 2023, she was blindsided by a diagnosis of stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. (Tammy Morrow)
GTFC is designed to specifically target cancer cells with genetic mutations, he said, so that more chemo gets into the tumor.
“While only 5% to 7% of conventional chemotherapy administered through an IV typically reaches the tumor, GTFC significantly improves this uptake,” Oertle said.
“As a result, we can reduce the overall dosage and administer treatment more frequently.”
“Not only are these specific treatments resulting in better outcomes, they are less harmful as well.”
Fox News medical contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier, who is not associated with Envita, referred to GTFC as “the future of cancer treatment.”
“Historically, we depended on traditional chemotherapy to kill cancer cells,” she told Fox News Digital.
“Unfortunately, traditional chemotherapy isn’t very specific, so while it killed cancer cells, it also killed healthy cells.”
In the midst of cancer treatments, as she began losing her hair, Morrow had a friend give her a haircut. (Tammy Morrow)
Because of this limitation, traditional chemo can have “severe” short-term and long-term side effects, Saphier confirmed.
“GTFC is a targeted therapy, which is a type of cancer treatment that’s designed to attack cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone,” she went on.
“Not only are these specific treatments resulting in better outcomes, they are less harmful as well.”
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While there are some possible side effects with GTFC, they are “significantly fewer” than with traditional chemo, Oertle said.
“Many patients are even able to maintain their hair,” he added.
Morrow, seen here with a few of her fitness friends at the gym, was an avid health and wellness enthusiast before getting diagnosed. (Tammy Morrow)
In Morrow’s case, she said her side effects were “minimal,” even after receiving GTFC chemo treatments once or twice every week for 21 weeks.
Her main side effects were weakness and digestive issues for a day or two after the treatment.
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“I was even able to work full-time during my treatment,” she said. “On a couple of occasions, I virtually attended work meetings while receiving the chemo treatments.”
Who can get GTFC?
In addition to breast cancer, GTFC can be an option for any type of cancer that needs systemic therapy, according to Oertle.
“For early-stage cancers, we utilize advanced blood tests to ensure that the disease has not spread,” he said.
“I pray that one day, I will have the money to help others receive care at Envita,” Morrow said. (Tammy Morrow)
“If the cancer remains localized, we offer other precision-based, less invasive treatments that may eliminate the need for GTFC. However, for cancers that have spread beyond the initial tumor, GTFC may be an effective treatment option.”
“Most people simply cannot afford to pay for this type of medical care.”
There are some barriers to receiving this type of chemo, however.
“It is very difficult to receive this care because no insurance company in America will cover the advanced and targeted integrated care Envita offers,” Morrow told Fox News Digital.
“Even though the chemotherapy drugs I received at Envita are a part of the normal medical protocol, because the method of delivering these chemotherapy drugs is not normal, my insurance company refused to cover any of it.”
While there are some possible side effects with GTFC, they are “significantly fewer” than with traditional chemo, an expert said. (iStock)
Morrow paid nearly $250,000 out of pocket for her chemo treatments.
“Most people simply cannot afford to pay for this type of medical care — and I could not have afforded it, either,” she said.
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To cover the cost, Morrow’s two sons started a GoFundMe and raised almost $120,000, and Morrow and her husband took out a second mortgage to cover the rest.
“I would encourage people to not let the cost prevent them from seeking out this innovative and life-saving approach to cancer care,” Morrow urged.
In addition to breast cancer, GTFC can be an option for any type of cancer that needs systemic therapy. (iStock)
“I pray that one day, I will have the money to help others receive care at Envita. In the meantime, my husband and I have two guest bedrooms waiting to be filled by out-of-town patients.”
Envita includes the below disclaimer on its website.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
“Disclaimer: Individual results will vary. Envita makes no guarantees for outcomes. Each patient’s case is unique. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your medical treatment. Not every patient is a candidate for care or achieves these results. Treatments used in this case may not all be FDA-approved for the treatment of this condition.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the FDA requesting comment.
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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