Jennifer Matthews: Richard and June share more than lunch these days. They're also sharing one of life's toughest tests.

Richard Belding: After 51 years, it's just - I cannot imagine her not being there, so that's why this trial is so hard on her.

Jennifer Matthews: That trial is brain cancer. Richard was recently diagnosed with the most aggressive type there is.

Richard Belding: That was a real shock and took some getting used to it.

Jennifer Matthews: They sought help and found it in a man who's been called a hero of medicine, Doctor Keith Black.

Dr. Keith L. Black: I've been trying to search for an effective treatment for brain tumors my entire medical career.

Jennifer Matthews: His latest research focuses on special immune cells, dendritic cells. They're used to stimulate powerful T-cells using tissue from the patient's own tumor.

Dr. Keith L. Black: These T-cells will then divide into millions and millions of T-cells that will then invade back into the brain tumor to try to destroy it.

Jennifer Matthews: The vaccine is now delivered directly into the tumor to make it more effective. Richard was the first patient to receive it.

Dr. Keith L. Black: He's really a patient where we would expect a tumor to behave very, very aggressively, and it looks to be stabilizing.

Jennifer Matthews: The vaccine is even more effective when used with chemotherapy. Early research suggests that combination boosts five-year survival from 5 to 40 percent. Richard doesn't know if he'll make it five years, but he's hopeful.

Richard Belding: I'd like to live a few more years, but being 73, I know it's inevitable. Who wants to live forever, anyway? But, I just don't want to go now.

Jennifer Matthews: This is Jennifer Matthews reporting.