Man With Terminal Cancer Given The All-Clear After Trialling New Wonder Drug

Man With Terminal Cancer Given The All-Clear After Trialling New Wonder Drug

Claire Reid

A man who was told he had only 18 months left to live, due to terminal cancer, has been left with no trace of the disease after trying out a new 'wonder drug'.

Sixty-year-old Bob Berry from Stockport, was first diagnosed with cancer three years, after going to the doctors complaining on shoulder pains. Bob was given the terrible news that he had lung cancer after a scan showed that he had a shadow on his lung.

He began treatment straight away and had surgery to remove the tumour, however it was too late and the cancer had spread to his lymph nodes.

Bob was referred to The Christie, and a course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy followed, but this was also unsuccessful and, as Bob wasn't responding to drugs, his doctors told him he had around 18 months to live.

Bob's doctors then decided to send him to the clinical trials unit and 12 months ago he was given a brand new drugs, which cannot be named yet. Bob is one of just three people in the UK to trial the drug - and one of only 12 in the world.

Bob said: "Three years ago, I was given 12 - 18 months to live but I have already surpassed that and I feel well. At the end of the day, this clinical trial at The Christie has extended my life and I couldn't be more grateful. Anyone who is offered a clinical trial should seriously consider it."

The study has only been held at six clinical trial centres worldwide.

Alongside the drug, Bob was also given immunotherapy, which uses patients own immune systems to fight cancer. At his last check up there no sign of any cancer in his system.

Bob's consultant, Dr Matthew Krebs, said: "Bob has had a phenomenal response to taking part in this clinical trial. His most recent scans show that he's had a complete response with no apparent trace of tumour in his body.

"We will need to monitor Bob closely with regular scans to assess how durable this response will be. As it is a combined study with a brand new drug, we still have a lot of further research to do before we can establish how these findings can help more patients like Bob in the future as cancer is a complex disease and not every patient responds as well as this."