Defying the odds: Patient triumphs over recurring brain tumors, supported by Beacon’s care

Christopher Riley
“I’m in my ninth year of battling brain tumors,” Christopher Riley shares. With the support of his medical team, family and the strength of his faith, he continues to overcome his medical challenges, practice law, serve his community and enjoy time with loved ones.
Nearly a decade ago, Christopher lost sight in his right eye. Imaging studies revealed that he had developed a meningioma, a type of non-cancerous tumor, that was impinging on his optic nerve. Dr. Neal Patel, Beacon Medical Group North Central Neurosurgery South Bend, performed surgery and successfully removed the mass, which was nearly 6 centimeters across – about the size of a peach.
A relapse
Christopher’s sight returned, and life went back to normal. Since the tumor was not malignant, he never imagined that it might come back. Shockingly, four short years later, he lost sight in his left eye and learned he had another tumor.
This time, Dr. Patel referred Christopher to another surgeon – Dr. Amish Shah, the surgeon who had trained Dr. Patel. Christopher underwent surgery with Dr. Shah at IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
“The surgery itself went well,” Christopher said. Recovery proved challenging. “It was a long process. I had lots of headaches and disorientation,” he said. Fortunately, his sight returned. But four years later, he again lost vision in his left eye and returned to IU Health Methodist Hospital for his third brain surgery.
“I’m a person of very strong faith, so I just kind of left it in God’s hands,” he recalled.

Christopher Riley at the hospital.
The team approach
Christopher was impressed by the collaboration across specialties and health systems.
“I’m pretty sure that prior to the second surgery, the private communications between the doctors saved my life,” he said. “They collaborated to make sure that I got the expedited treatment that my worsening condition necessitated.”
Christopher’s care team was monitoring him very closely for any signs of the tumor coming back. “I’m more closely supervised than kindergartners on a playground,” he joked.
Five months ago, they saw signs of trouble.
He wasn’t experiencing any symptoms, which was good news. Finding the new tumor so early meant Christopher had more treatment options. He was grateful for an alternative to having a fourth brain surgery.
“Brain surgeries are, by their nature, very painful and intrusive. You only get so many of them in life,” he said. “It’s kind of like being a cat with nine lives, only I’m 52 and hoping I’ve got a lot of life left.”
There was enough space between the tumor and the optic nerve to make radiation therapy a possibility. Christopher consulted radiation oncologist Dr. Sam McGrath, Beacon Medical Group Oncology South Bend, as well as his surgeons at IU Health Methodist before proceeding.
“Meningiomas can arise in distributions of the brain adjacent to critical structures that must be preserved and protected at all costs, sometimes limiting the extent of surgical resection,” Dr. McGrath said. “In these instances, radiation therapy is an excellent treatment modality to improve local control.”

Christopher Riley with members of the Memorial team who cared for him.
Radiation therapy
Last September, Christopher underwent 28 radiation sessions on weekdays. Dr. McGrath used technology that allowed him to view the tumor throughout each session, closely monitoring the progress of this treatment.
“Chris was treated with image-guided radiation therapy. Prior to each of his treatments, imaging was obtained in real time with Chris in the treatment position. This allowed us to compare a daily image to the images acquired at the time of his treatment planning to ensure he was in the exact position that we intended before delivering therapy,” Dr. McGrath said.
“Our linear accelerators have the capability to shift and rotate the treatment couch from outside of the room immediately prior to treatment, giving us tremendous confidence in his set-up. This means that all of the adjacent critical structures, like Chris’s optic apparatus [nerve], are being protected as initially designed.”
Each day, Christopher would put in a day at the law firm, scheduling his sessions toward the end of the workday so that his fatigue would be less inconvenient. Then he would rest at home.
“Caring for an inspirational patient like Chris, who handles adversity with such grace, and sharing in his care with colleagues as committed to excellence as Dr. Patel, is what makes this profession so rewarding,” Dr. McGrath said.
While Christophe expected fatigue, he did not expect to enjoy his trips to the hospital so much.
“Ironically, I started looking forward to them. The staff at Beacon’s radiation oncology department is one of a kind,” he said. “In my limited time on campus each day, I got to know the team members personally. They were very caring and personable. We would laugh and swap stories and in so doing, they really put me at ease. I owe the entire staff at Beacon’s radiation oncology an enormous debt of gratitude.”

Christopher Riley with his daughter, Kathryn, at the Notre Dame – Indiana University College Playoff Game in December 2024.
The road ahead
Dr. Patel said the tumor recurrences Christopher experienced have been small in comparison to the size of the initial tumor. Being located around the optic nerve, even tumors that were smaller, however, still affected Christopher’s vision.
“Ultimately, the real success story for me is that Chris was able to get back to being Chris,” Dr. Patel said. “Chris has benefited by having a radiation oncologist like Sam [McGrath], who truly is a teammate that is in the trenches with you and is fully committed, like family, to getting you the best outcome.”
While he awaits a results review by his medical team, Christopher feels great and says his journey has been personally transformative.
“It’s been a long, long road,” he shared. “It helps you love more, care more, give attention to the people around you that they need and deserve. And you tend to worry less about the things that distract you from happiness.”