Achi news desk-
“My treatment included chemotherapy as well as surgery to remove the tumour. But the cancer had spread to the muscle tissue, so it was worse than they initially thought.”
Tommy took part in the TUXEDO clinical trial funded by Cancer Research UK. He recalls, “I decided I would do it in about 10 seconds.” The trial involved receiving chemotherapy every week, along with radiotherapy five days a week for seven weeks.
“It was April 2013 when the doctor told me the good news that the treatment had been successful and that my cancer had gone. I was delighted.
“I knew nothing about clinical trials before I joined one. Now I realize how important they are. They are needed to test new treatments, new drugs, and new drug combinations. Without them we would not be able to make any progress; things would remain still.
“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to join a clinical trial. I really believe that is what has enabled me to see my grandson Tommy grow up. He is my little friend. We do everything together. But if it wasn’t for research, I might not have to see it at all.
“Right now, things are good. I can look forward to the future and to spending more time with my family and little Tommy. And I really think that’s thanks to research.”
Donations in Wills fund a third of our work. Work that supports life saving trials for people like Tommy.
Last year, 7,875 supporters pledged a gift in their Wills to Cancer Research UK and together we have helped to double cancer survival rates in the UK.
But 1 in 2 people will get cancer in their lifetime* so more work needs to be done. By pledging a gift in your Will, you will help us find new ways to defeat cancer and create a world where everyone lives longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer.
Find out how you can leave a gift in your Will.
* Ahmad MP et al. British Journal of Cancer, 2015
TUXEDO clinical trial
Cancer Research UK funded the TUXEDO clinical trial in which Tommy took part. This looked at using cetuximab alongside radiotherapy and chemotherapy for invasive bladder cancer (cancer that has grown into the muscle layer). The trial showed that this combination of treatments is safe to use and could be a useful treatment for invasive bladder cancer, meaning that more people will survive this cancer in the future.
Learn more
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/find-a-clinical-trial/a-trial-of-cetuximab-with-chemotherapy-and-radiotherapy-for-muscle-invasive-bladder-cancer-tuxedo
