A U.K. man, who was diagnosed with a rare style of cancer, was given 12 months to live. Nevertheless, participating in an immunotherapy drug trial turned his life around.
Robert Glynn, 51, a welder from Worsley in Greater Manchester, had intrahepatic bile duct cancer. Glynn was diagnosed with the aggressive type of cancer a day before his forty ninth birthday in June 2020. Prior to that, Glynn has been experiencing severe pain in his shoulder, which made it difficult for him to sleep, in accordance with The Guardian.
Unfortunately, on the time of the diagnosis, cancer had spread to his adrenal gland and liver. The massive size of the tumors made surgery unimaginable. It was classed as stage 4.
“I asked my consultant to be honest and tell me how long I’d got if I carried on as I used to be, and she or he said 12 months,” Glynn said, as per the outlet.
Glynn was referred to an immunotherapy trial run by the Christie NHS foundation trust in Manchester. Here, Glynn was found to be an excellent candidate for a clinical trial of an immunotherapy drug already approved to be used within the lung, kidney, and esophageal cancer.
Nevertheless, the drug’s name was not disclosed because of the experimental nature of the trial.
“I wouldn’t be here today without the trial. After I was given the choice to participate in research, I jumped at the possibility. You do anything you’ll be able to to increase your life,” Glynn said, reported LadBible.
The outcomes from the trial were nothing in need of a miracle. Following treatment, the tumor within the liver gotten smaller from 12 cm to 2.6 cm, while his adrenal gland tumor became 4.1 cm in size from 7 cm. The reduced tumors allowed Glynn to undergo surgery in April this 12 months to remove them.
Incredibly, the tissues that were removed were made up of dead cells, meaning the drug has destroyed all of the cancer cells.
“They didn’t find any energetic cancer cells in any respect. They tested the tumors twice because they couldn’t quite consider it,” said Glynn.
“One in every of the nurses on the Christie said it was a miracle. I don’t like that word – I’m just an abnormal bloke – nevertheless it’s definitely remarkable. Without the trial I wouldn’t be here,” he added.
Glynn responded so well to the treatment because he had a high variety of genetic mutations.
“Most patients with this diagnosis should not have as many mutations of their cancer cells so the treatment won’t be as effective, nevertheless it does highlight the importance of personalized medicine,” Prof Juan Valle, a consultant oncologist on the Christie and a world-leading expert in biliary tract cancer, said.
“The outcomes of this research and one other larger study are keenly anticipated by colleagues worldwide because it could lead on to a change in how we treat patients like Robert in the longer term,” Valle added.
Glynn has not needed any more treatment and has turn out to be cancer-free as per his quarterly scans.
“I feel very lucky as I had cancer for 2 years and had no idea. So getting the all-clear was overwhelming,” Glynn said.