Robb Owen has a story to tell, and the right people are starting to listen.
The 59-year-old Crawfordsville resident was diagnosed Oct. 5, 2023, with stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma. The disease was taking the form of a lump in his neck.
However, his recovery has piqued the interest of physicians at the top-ranked Mayo Clinic.
Owen’s journey began in April 2023 when he visited his primary care physician for what he thought was a minor infection. He was placed on antibiotics.
“I was not fully sick and didn’t feel bad at all,” Owen recalled.
When the antibiotics did not work, his doctor ordered a series of tests which included a chest x-ray and blood work. The results of the tests showed the lump in his neck.
A CT scan was performed, and a mass was found in August 2023. A biopsy followed, and on Oct. 5 Owen was told the lump was cancerous.
Owen had been on a specific physical regime which included biking and jogging and eating healthy for several years. He took daily supplements, including zinc, vitamins B-12 and C. He also took a multi-vitamin and had an enhanced water consumption schedule. Doctors told him to stop taking the supplements on Oct. 27.
Doctors then performed exploratory surgery in Owen’s throat and still came up with no answers about where the cancer was based.
Within four days from Oct. 27 the tumor had grown 21%, according to his doctors. For the first time the lump was bulging from his neck.
The lump continued to grow, and Owen was told the cancer was a “very aggressive form of cancer.” The decision was made to take out his right tonsil. Owen learned that only one out of four survive his type of cancer.
After the surgery Owen decided to go back to his vitamin regime and miraculously the tumor stopped growing.
Owen was scheduled to take 35 doses of chemotherapy and radiation which began Nov. 28. He was pleasantly surprised he had no harsh reactions to the treatments.
A meeting with his radiation doctor led to Owen to learn the lump was starting to shrink. One-week later Owen was told the tumor was shrinking quickly.
Doctors had questions, why was the tumor rapidly shrinking and why did Owen not have any adverse reactions to the treatments?
By Dec. 12 there were no signs of a tumor. Another blood work sample showed Owen was cancer free.
Owen was convinced the reason he was able to beat the cancer was because of the vitamin supplements and his water consumption. To help prove his theory, he compiled a 68-page case study titled “Why Supplements I Used Saved My Life.”
Owen shared his case study with doctors at Ascension St. Vincent. The chief surgeon, who has since retired, told Owen the case study was “ground breaking” and he offered to contact other professionals on his behalf.
Owen contacted the Mayo Clinic in January where doctors expressed an interest in the case study and Owen shipped it to them.
The reason Owen is willing to share his story is quite simple.
“I want to give people hope who are battling this type of cancer,” Owen said. “I want people to know that I had no ill effects from the treatments and that my tumor went away very quickly while using the vitamin and hydration regimen. I truly believe the vitamins and hydration was the key.”
“Mayo requested my medical history and diagnostic information,” Owen said. “That was exciting news.”
There is no timeline for Mayo to get back with Owen. However, he will continue to share his information with any health organization in hopes of helping many people who suffer with cancer.
