Published
UKHe only had one year left to live, a treatment saves him
Suffering from cancer of the bile ducts, a British welder benefited from an experimental treatment which led him on the road to a complete cure.
Robert Glynn outside Manchester Cancer Research Centre.
The Manchester Cancer Research Centre
He had been given only a year to live. Here he is cured of an aggressive form of cancer thanks to an experimental drug combined with standard chemotherapy, reports “The Guardian”.
Robert Glynn, 51, a welder from Worsley in Greater Manchester, was told in 2020 that he had biliary tract cancer. He was regarding to celebrate his 49th birthday.
Sentenced
This aggressive disease causes the cells that line the bile ducts to multiply and grow. The bile ducts are small tubes that connect the liver, gallbladder, and small intestine. They release bile in the intestine following eating, which helps digest fats. At the time of diagnosis, the cancer had spread to the adrenal glands and liver, with tumors too large to be operated on. He had reached stage 4, with a very pessimistic vital prognosis.
Robert Glynn was referred to the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, where he was considered a good candidate to take part in a clinical trial of an immunotherapy drug already approved for use in lung cancer, kidney and esophagus. Immunotherapy works by helping the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.
Surprising decrease in tumors
During his treatment, it was found that the tumor in his liver shrank from 12cm to 2.6cm, while that of his adrenal gland shrank from 7cm to 4.1cm. Surgical removal of tumors has thus become possible.
The surgeons found only dead tissue, meaning the treatment killed all the cancer cells. “They tested the tumors twice because they mightn’t believe it,” Robert Glynn said. “One of the Christie’s nurses said it was a miracle. I don’t like that word – I’m just an ordinary guy – but it’s really remarkable. Without the test, I would not be here,” he added.
Since his operation last April, Robert Glynn has not needed any more treatment and his quarterly scans show that he no longer has cancer.
“It was the kick in the ass I needed”
Other studies are currently being carried out on other patients, in the hope of modifying the treatment of bile duct cancer.
After learning regarding the link between obesity and cancer, Robert Glynn also changed his diet completely, losing five pounds by cutting out all processed foods, refined sugar, dairy products and milk. “It was the kick in the ass I needed to turn my life around,” he told the «Guardian».
