Doctor beats cancer with his own revolutionary treatment

An Australian doctor has announced a year of being cancer-free after pioneering his own successful treatment for a deadly brain tumour. His innovative approach, based on his years of research, has given him a second chance and offers hope for others facing similar challenges.

Richard Scolyer, 57, was diagnosed with a brain tumour last June. The physician said he knew that meant he faced “certain death”.

In a potentially groundbreaking development, Professor Scolyer received an experimental treatment he designed himself. This novel therapy drew upon his expertise in melanoma research.

In an MRI scan on Tuesday, Prof. Scolyer revealed that there is “still no sign of recurrence”.

“I’m blown away,” he said in an interview, according to the BBC. “This is not what I expected. The average time to recurrence for the nasty type of brain cancer I’ve got is six months. So, to be out this far is amazing. Amazing.”

Mr Scolyer, a renowned melanoma specialist, received the prestigious “Australian of the Year” award in 2024 alongside his colleague, Professor Georgina Long, also an oncologist. The recognition honoured their combined efforts in revolutionizing cancer treatment.

The two experts are co-directors at the Melanoma Institute Australia. They are celebrated for pioneering a transformative treatment for melanoma. Their approach leverages immunotherapy, a method that empowers the body’s own immune system to fight off cancer cells.

“Guinea Pig”

Diagnosed with the most aggressive form of brain cancer in June 2023, Mr Scolyer courageously volunteered as the first patient for the pre-surgical immunotherapy treatment, described as a “guinea pig.”

According to the BBC, the innovative approach involved targeting his tumour with a specific immunotherapy regimen 12 days before surgery. Following the surgery to remove the tumour, he underwent traditional radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

He continued to receive immunotherapy and other personalized vaccines for his tumour.

“Richard’s been lucky enough to get through 10 months of pretty toxic treatment because of the experience of the team in managing [the delivery of immunotherapy] and [understanding] the nuance of toxicity.” Professor Long said.

Last month, Mr Scolyer said he received dose eight of the ten personalized anticancer vaccines for his experimental treatment.

While the treatment aims to extend Professor Scolyer’s life, doctors are cautious about a complete cure. They believe the chances of him being completely cured are “minuscule.”

“I can run and do the things I love doing and spending time with my wonderful family and enjoying life as best I can, given the circumstances,” he said.

Revolutionizing Treatment

The research conducted by a medical team led by Professor Long, will proceed to clinical trials for glioblastoma patients.

“My hope is that this will lead to better outcomes, benefiting not only myself but all individuals battling brain cancer,” remarked Professor Scolyer.

A team of researchers are preparing the paperwork for clinical trials based on Mr Scolyer’s treatment. These trials, if successful, could revolutionize cancer treatment for millions of patients who haven’t seen significant advancements in their standard of care for nearly two decades.

“As a scientist and as a clinician, there is an absolute need to make sure that you do things properly and share that information in a peer-reviewed and standardized way,” Professor Long said.

She said that her published research and development of a clinical trial plan, alongside neuro-oncologists from Australia and the US, will spark significant discussion within the scientific community.

“The world can look at it, can discuss it, can criticize it, can love parts of it,” she said.

“Then we start the foundation of doing things differently and doing new trials in glioblastoma … and it’s by doing that that we can develop the right treatments for the right patient, and then eventually they become a standard treatment, just like the current standard for Richard’s tumour, which is now nearly 20 years old.

“We want to change that. But to change that, we have to show that this actually works in larger numbers of people.”

Professor Scolyer acknowledges the possibility of the tumour returning in the future. However, he is choosing to focus on living his life to the fullest for now.

“I’m trying to enjoy life as I’d encourage all people to do: make the most of your life. You never know what’s around the corner.”