Doctor still cancer-free almost a year after diagnosis of incurable brain tumor – thanks to his own pioneering treatment | World News

Australian professor Richard Scolyer has been named one of Australia’s Australians of the Year for his life-saving work on melanoma, the basis of which is used to treat his own incurable cancer.

An Australian doctor who applied his own pioneering melanoma research to the incurable brain cancer he was diagnosed with almost a year ago is still cancer-free.

Professor Richard Scolyer from the University of Sydney said he “couldn’t be happier” after the results of a recent MRI scan showed there was still no sign of his glioblastoma coming back.

Posting the update on X, Professor Scolyer, who alongside fellow University of Sydney professor Georgina Long, was named The Australian of the Year said: “I couldn’t be happier!!!!!

“Thank you to the fabulous team who look after me so well, especially my wife Katie and my wonderful family!”

Professor Scolyer, whose life-changing melanoma treatment saved thousands, discovered a tumor in June last year after an outbreak in Poland.

He became the world’s first brain cancer patient to receive pre-operative combination immunotherapy, as he used the foundation of his life-changing work on melanoma on himself.

Professor Scolyer now hopes the tumor does not return because, according to the doctor, the median time for the grade four brain tumor he suffered from to return is six months.

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“By undertaking an experimental treatment that could shorten his life, he has advanced the understanding of brain cancer and benefits future patients,” the University of Sydney said in announcing the Australians of the Year. prize for Professor Scolyer and Professor Long.

The professors, who are also co-medical directors of the Melanoma Institute Australia, made the disease curable through their immunotherapy approach, which activates the patient’s immune system.

Speaking to Sky News’ Kay Burley in February, Professor Scolyer said “the risk of major adverse reactions to these types of drugs is quite high, but I’ve had it without any problems so far, so I don’t Couldn’t be happier and I hope.” It’ll stay like this for a while yet.”

Professor Long added: “We’ve shown that… you can activate the immune system and do it very well and this is now a fundamental first step in changing the field and the way drugs are explored in breast cancer. brain.”