The condition triggers an abnormal overgrowth of cells of the lymph system

His form of the condition kills around a third of patients within five years 

But he is still alive today, after gambling on a drug called sirolimus

His technique also helped two other patients go 19 months without a flare-up

A doctor with a potentially fatal condition has been in remission for five years after testing an experimental treatment on himself.

Dr David Fajgenbaum, who works at the University of Pennsylvania, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Castleman disease in 2010, aged 25. It triggers an abnormal overgrowth of cells of the lymph system, which can cause multiple organ failure.