When you’re given a terminal diagnosis, it’s hard to have hope sometimes. Thankfully, the human will to live can beat even the worst odds, particularly when mixed with some groundbreaking research.
Introducing Australian pathologist and oncologist Richard Scolyer.
When he was traveling through Europe last year, he suffered a seizure. Following extensive testing, it was discovered that the world-renowned doctor had a particularly aggressive and terminal form of brain cancer known as glioblastoma. He was given about a year or so to live.
But given that he is an oncologist, he had access to some things most of us don’t. In fact, it was his own work in the field that has supposedly led to a now cancer-free MRI over a year after his terminal diagnosis.
I had brain #MRI scan last Thursday looking for recurrent #glioblastoma (&/or treatment complications). I found out yesterday that there is still no sign of recurrence. I couldn’t be happier!!!!!
Thank you to the fabulous team looking after me so well especially my wife Katie &… pic.twitter.com/WdqZKLDvge
— Professor Richard Scolyer AO (@ProfRScolyerMIA) May 13, 2024
As BBC reported, Scolyer has been working on immunotherapy treatments for melanoma, a type of skin cancer, for some time. During his time doing so, nearly half of his patients receiving such treatment have seen dramatic success and are now cancer-free as well.
In fact, his treatments have been sought by melanoma patients worldwide due to their success.
So he and his medical team, including his colleague Georgina Long at Melanoma Institute Australia, carefully curated a plan in the hopes that his approach to immunotherapy could work for him.
To his credit, it did, or at least that’s what all the tests show so far.
Now, of course, the process was not without its woes. Pneumonia, liver issues, and seizures did plague the good doctor for a while.
But now, he says he’s “the best I have felt for yonks (a long time.)”
He and his staff admit that he might not be completely out of the woods yet. Fellow oncologist Roger Stupp says Scolyer’ssuccess should be heavily monitored, and he’d like to see MRI results in another six months or so.
However, Scolyer’s most recent MRI has given them hope. It’s also given him more of a reason to continue his work in the hopes that similar results can be given to other cancer patients.
