A year after undergoing a world-first treatment for glioblastoma, Australian doctor Richard Scolyer remains cancer-free.Prof Scolyer's subtype of glioblastoma is so aggressive most patients survive less than a year.
As co-directors of the Melanoma Institute Australia, over the past decade the pair's research on immunotherapy, which uses the body's immune system to attack cancer cells, has dramatically improved outcomes for advanced melanoma patients globally. Half are now essentially cured, up from less than 10%.
After a tough couple of months of treatment at the start of the year - spent dealing with epileptic seizures, liver issues and pneumonia - Prof Scolyer says he is feeling healthier. The results so far have generated huge excitement that the duo may be on the cusp of a discovery which could one day help the roughly 300,000 people diagnosed with brain cancer globally each year.
"We've generated a whole heap of data, to then make a foundation for that next step, so that we can help more people," she said.