Beating Glioblastoma with Repurposed Drugs – Exactly How Ben Williams Did It,
It began during a card game in 1995.
As Professor Ben Williams won poker hand after hand against his UCSD colleagues, he proudly arranged his chips in neat stacks to his right. To his left, a heaping pile of unruly chips was the first sign of his lurking, yet undiagnosed brain cancer.
This was followed by problems with walking, parking his car, and other perceptual issues involving left-sided neglect, signs characteristic of stroke or brain injury. Right-sided brain lesions produce a condition where a person becomes strangely unaware of their left side.
In Ben Williams’ case, it reflected brain cancer of the worst kind, a tumor known as Glioblastoma Multiforme [GBM], one with an average survival of little more than one year.
After a March 30, 1995, MRI scan revealed the cancer that occupied his right parietal lobe, his Oncologist candidly told Ben that he would be lucky to survive 18 months even if he did everything right – that is if he dutifully followed all medical advice in receiving brain surgery, radiation treatments, and chemotherapy.
But Ben was not your typical cancer patient.
As an accomplished research scientist, he was Chairman of the Psychology Department at the University of California at San Diego. He had earned a PhD at Harvard. Ben was anything but a compliant, no-questions-asked cancer patient. His Neuro-Oncologist soon discovered that answering pages of prepared questions during each examination would become the norm.
These questions often involved second-guessing the standard treatments. They also involved requests to add repurposed drugs to the treatment regimen. All of this came to a head when the Neuro-Oncologist refused to prescribe Tamoxifen, a drug that Ben’s independent review of the literature showed promise against GBM.
Ben suggested he find a different Neuro-Oncologist, not realizing there were no others in the San Diego area. His Neurosurgeon, however, brought the two back together and mediated a discussion where they reached a compromise. The Neuro-Oncologist would agree to prescribe the Tamoxifen if Ben would agree to one round of chemotherapy first.
Ben underwent brain surgery for tumor removal on March 31, 1995. He followed through with chemotherapy and received a prescription for Tamoxifen. However, the friction between the two persisted, and Ben resorted to driving to Tijuana, Mexico to acquire higher doses.
He added Accutane, also sourced from Mexico, a drug his research showed had effectiveness in clinical trials. Ben found an abstract from Clinical Cancer Research which showed that 45% of trial participants experienced either GBM tumor regression or stabilization following the use of Accutane.
Ben also read that the drug Verapamil can block calcium channels and thwart cancer’s attempts to develop resistance to chemotherapy. Ben obtained Verapamil through a prescription from his family doctor.
He added more drugs and supplements.
His MRI scans began showing shrinkage of the remaining tumor that was unreachable by surgery. First, the changes were small. Then as Ben added additional repurposed drugs and increased their dosages, the cancer regressed faster.
His MRI on January 31, 1996, showed that the cancer had completely disappeared. However, Ben was aware that his battle against the disease was far from over. Despite achieving a clean MRI, he knew from his research that many such patients – about half – experience a recurrence of the tumor within one year.
Sadly, a significant percentage of these patients pass away a few months after the recurrence. About 25% of GBM patients who achieved a clean MRI without experiencing recurrence within the first year became long-term survivors – meaning they survived at least 5 years.
Ben knew the 12 months after January 1996 were crucial.
He completed all the recommended chemotherapy. He continued his daily walking and even began running. He could not make it more than one mile whereas before the cancer he ran six miles every other day. He fought emerging negative thoughts between episodes of optimism.
Ben returned to teaching classes and conducting research at UCSD. He found himself losing his train of thought and struggling to give lectures. His student reviews were among the worst of his career. But he persevered.
In the Spring of 1997, he received word that his eighth MRI in a row was again clear. He wrestled with the question of whether or not to stop the Tamoxifen some 19 months into his remission.
If he were wrong, and the tumor came back after stopping it, he could not live with himself. However, he noticed some side effects like weight gain and loss of libido. Still, in the end, he opted to continue it, after a discussion with his physician team.
The heart of Professor Williams’ treatment regimen remained Tamoxifen, Verapamil, Accutane, and three other repurposed drugs. Many refer to Ben as the “Father of Repurposed Drugs Against Cancer.”
He was the first I could find who definitively documented their use in surviving terminal cancer. Ben remains alive and well today nearly 30 years after his grim 1995 diagnosis.
He has written extensively about his experience in the book, Surviving Terminal Cancer, and he believes all patients should be educated consumers who actively question while also receiving cancer care with solid informed consent.
He cites a key example in his book concerning the administration of his BCNU chemotherapy. According to the PDR, the Physician’s Desk Reference, BCNU must not be stored in plastic bags because light causes it to lose its effectiveness.
Instead, it must be contained in glass bottles.
When Ben noticed the BCNU they were about to administer was from a plastic bag, he refused it and asked them to check with the Pharmacist. The error was acknowledged, and they returned with a properly preserved glass container of BCNU.
Physicians, including Ben’s Neurosurgeon, routinely refer their GBM patients to consult with Ben about repurposed drugs. While they may not be willing to prescribe repurposed drugs to their patients, they find it helpful to connect them with Professor Williams.
Over the years, Ben has spoken to some 200+ GBM patients, often relatives of physicians from his treatment team. Even after advising them of the benefits of repurposed drugs, their Oncologists refuse, the patients do not receive them, and they do poorly.
Glioblastoma is one of the worst of the worst cancers and is considered a death sentence by Oncologists. For one to have a chance at longer-term survival, one must do something different – or in addition to – the standard of care.
According to Ben, and these numbers have not changed significantly over the past 30 years – the 2-year survival rate of GBM treated only with radiation ranges between 2 and 10%. With both radiation and chemotherapy, this 2-year survival ranges between 15 and 30%.
It is only when someone does something different, like adding repurposed drugs, that we see long-term survival like Ben. Yet that requires a rare combination of smarts and assertiveness that eludes most people, especially when their life is on the line, and they are not the expert.
Ben Williams reports, “Only the most intelligent and aggressive patients manage to convince their physicians to try the cocktail approach.”
Here is the list of repurposed drugs that Ben Williams added.
- Tamoxifen
- Accutane
- Verapamil
- Melatonin
- PSK – Polysaccharide Krestin – Mushroom Extract
- GLA – Gamma Linoleic Acid – taken as Borage Seed Oil
Beating Glioblastoma with Repurposed Drugs – Exactly How Ben Williams Did It – Search Videos
For the most up-to-date information on the topic, Dr. Paul Marik has exhaustively reviewed most of these and more repurposed drugs and supplements and their most recent clinical studies and anti-cancer mechanisms of action in his book, Cancer Care.
Dr. Marik’s text is the most comprehensive one about repurposed drugs against cancer to date. It includes dosages. It is a must-read for anyone who is facing a cancer diagnosis, especially one of Glioblastoma.
In addition, Professor Williams has written a rather technical and detailed manuscript concerning the detailed rationale behind every one of his repurposed drugs, as well as mechanisms of GBM resistance, newer treatments, and newer repurposed drug approaches here.
How Ben Williams Beat Glioblastoma with Repurposed Drugs
Professor Ben Williams, a Harvard PhD and UC San Diego psychology chair, was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in March 1995 after an MRI revealed a large tumor in his right parietal lobe.
At the time, his oncologist told him he had little more than a year to live 
Initial Treatment and Resistance
Williams underwent emergency surgery on March 31, 1995, followed by chemotherapy with BCNU (carmustine) and PCV (a triple-drug regimen). However, he quickly realized that using only one drug at a time would allow the tumor to mutate and become resistant. His research led him to combine multiple agents simultaneously to reduce the chance of resistance 
Repurposed Drug Cocktail
Drawing on his own literature review and clinical trial data, Williams added several non-cancer drugs with anti-cancer properties:
- Tamoxifen – an anti-estrogen from breast cancer treatment, thought to target estrogen-dependent cancer stem cells in GBM
- Verapamil – a calcium channel blocker for hypertension, shown to enhance chemotherapy effects
- Accutane (isotretinoin) – a vitamin A derivative for acne, with anti-cancer stem cell activity
- Melatonin – an insomnia drug with antioxidant, anti-growth hormone, and anti-estrogenic effects
- Cimetidine (Tagamet) – an antacid/antihistamine that may prevent tumor cell adhesion and metastasis
He also incorporated supplements and dietary compounds:
- Genistein – anti-estrogenic soy isoflavone
- PSK – mushroom extract with immune-modulating and anti-cancer effects
- Flaxseed oil – omega-3 fatty acids for brain tissue
- Borage seed oil – gamma-linoleic acid
- Selenium, milk thistle, green tea extract – antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents
- Broccoli sprouts, garlic, berries, onions, soy products – rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants
Overcoming Medical Pushback
His oncologist initially refused Tamoxifen and other repurposed drugs, insisting on strict adherence to standard therapy. Williams’ persistence led to a compromise: Tamoxifen was added after one round of chemo, but disagreements persisted. He even drove to Tijuana, Mexico, to obtain higher Accutane doses
Long-Term Outcome
By 1998, Williams had been cancer-free for over two decades.
His approach combined:
- Orthodox therapies (surgery, chemo, radiation)
- Repurposed drugs with anti-cancer mechanisms
- Nutritional and supplement support to boost immune function and reduce tumor growth
His story, detailed in Surviving Terminal Cancer, illustrates how combining evidence-based repurposed drugs with conventional care may extend survival in aggressive cancers like GBM 
Key takeaway: Williams’ success came from combining multiple agents to target different tumor pathways, using drugs outside their original cancer indication, and maintaining a systemic, multi-pronged attack to delay resistance.
Check Dr. Peter Sulak. He went into remission after being diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer. I follow him and his diagnosis was a Grade 4 Diffuse Astrocytoma (Glioblastoma)
No.1 Oncologist Reveals the SIMPLE Daily Habit That Prevents Cancer After 50
IMA Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Paul Marik discusses the potential of repurposed drugs in treating cancers, why the metabolic aspects of cancer matter, and how this approach may help lead to better outcomes for patients. New cancer treatments Watch now.