Cedar Rapids, Iowa (KWWL) – About 14,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with glioblastoma each year, most of whom die within the first year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Cedar Rapids’ Chad Winterhoff refused to accept the odds. In March 2021, he consulted a doctor after feeling unusual symptoms.
“I had symptoms like dizziness and a little bit of nausea,” he said.
Winterhoff thought he was dizzy, but an MRI soon revealed a brain tumor. Shortly thereafter, I underwent emergency surgery, which limited my mobility on my left side, and I was seeking treatment.
“You go back to being unable to pick up a glass of water or really get out of bed,” he says. “Nevertheless, I prayed to help others.”
Hospitals called for more cancer treatment options.
“He’s no ordinary patient, and I think our doctors were aware of that,” said his wife, Jenny Winterhoff.
Winterhoff’s oncologist introduced him to Dr. Calvin Carter, assistant professor of neuroscience at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and founder of Gemini.
Carter and the Gemini University team had made a breakthrough discovery just one year before Chad’s diagnosis of electromagnetic radiation effects.
“We identified different areas that had a noticeable effect on metabolism, and this was all out of the blue. We were looking for one thing here and this popped up.” Mr Carter said.
Electromagnetic waves span the spectrum, from intense radiation to sunlight, television broadcasts, and even mobile phones. Carter’s work focuses on weaker radio waves than those from mobile phones.
“I never dreamed that signals that we can’t detect could have such a profound effect on our bodies and health,” Carter said. “It’s like turning off a disease switch with a remote control.”
When Winterhoff heard about the study, he knew he wanted to participate.
“If this was… a new surgical procedure, I’d probably be worth a lick of spit,” Winterhoff said. “But it just happened to be an area in which I had expertise.”
Winterhoff is an engineer with expertise in electromagnetic waves. He said that when he first met Mr. Carter and his team, he asked them to define the problem.
“We defined the problem as making effective brain tumor treatments more accessible,” he says. “What do you mean? Well, it’s in our house.”
Over the past few months, Winterhoff has been treating cancer at home using a new device developed by Gemini that uses electromagnetic signals.
“It can be delivered at home while the patient is asleep, and the device itself will be placed right next to the patient’s own bed,” Carter said.
It’s not yet clear what the device itself looks like, but initial brain scans show it’s shrinking the size of Winterhoff’s tumors.
“The results so far are really encouraging and encouraging. But we still have a lot of work to do to move this forward,” Carter said.
Winterhoff’s only complaint so far about the device? It’s a bit noisy and hot.
“Sometimes it feels like a sauna,” he said.
Winterhoff and her family acknowledge that the future remains uncertain, but are focused on bringing hope to those who may soon face the same terrifying diagnosis.
“I decided to focus on positive energy and what AI can do,” he said. “I decided to focus on what I could control.”
The Winterhoff family will host a Thrive Walk to Cure Brain Tumors on Saturday, May 27, to raise funds and awareness to fight brain tumors and to unite families affected by brain tumors. The walk takes place at Marion’s Row Park at 9am. For more information, please visit www.ThriveBrainCancer.com.