'Could be months, could be less': Professor Richard Scolyer says he's not sure how long he has left to live
Richard Scolyer, the world-renowned pathologist and former Australian of the Year, says he may only have a few months to live after his brain cancer returned earlier this year.
Professor Scolyer, 58, was first diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma in 2023 and was given just six to eight months. But his team's revolutionary and experimental immunotherapy treatment managed to keep the cancer at bay for almost two years with no recurrence.
The treatment was based on his own research and then developed by Melanoma Institute co-director Georgina Long. It used the same immune therapies the pair had pioneered for melanoma and initially showed promising results.
Richard Scolyer after a complex surgery in March 2025, which unfortunately showed his brain cancer had returned.
(
Supplied: Instagram/@profrscolyer
)
Professors Scolyer and Long were jointly named Australian of the Year in 2024 for their work.
However, Professor Scolyer
He told ABC News Breakfast on Thursday he's not sure how much time he has left.
"I'm still here and still able to chat to you so I'm pretty pleased about that," he said. "Who knows how long I've got. Could be months, could be less."
Professor Scolyer says he's focused on spending the time he has left doing the things he loves most.
"I love my life. I love the interactions I have with so many people.
"I guess in reality, I have focused down on the things that I like doing. Spending more time with my family is number one, but also contributing to society. It's something I've done for a long, long time.
Richard Scolyer's treatment defied expectations by keeping his brain cancer at bay for 22 months.
(
Twitter: @ProfRAScolyer
)
"I've been a specialist for more than 25 years now. So a lot of things that I've done I don't want to give up just like that."
His book, Brainstorm, won the Social Impact Book of the Year at the Australian Book Industry Awards in Melbourne on Wednesday night. Co-written with Garry Maddox, the book explores Professor Scolyer's extraordinary journey through brain cancer treatment.
He told News Breakfast he was "delighted" to be recognised.
"But ultimately, we're trying to make a difference for brain cancer patients. I hope that's where it ends up."
Professor Scolyer says he had more fun than he'd expected writing the book, calling it a "great journey".
Richard Scolyer at the Australian Book Industry Awards on Wednesday night.
(
Supplied
)
"I thought initially it might be just about the tough journey, but when I was approached about doing this, you get to talk about whole aspects of life and it's a lot of fun reminiscing on things, particularly when you're younger, the fun that you have."
He says he hopes the book will help make a difference with discussions around brain cancer.
"When you think about it, brain cancer treatment for the sort I've had, basically no-one is cured from it. And that doesn't sit with me right.
"Melanoma, if it had spread around your body, what we call stage 4 melanoma, everyone died about 15 years ago. Now we're curing close to 60 per cent of such patients.
"There are a lot of reasons why it's harder to treat brain cancer than melanoma, but to use some of the learnings that we've made at an earlier phase gives us a better chance."
Now facing his own mortality, Professor Scolyer advice to people is to enjoy life as much as possible.
"
Be passionate about it, enjoy hanging out with the people that you love. Yeah, enjoy it.
"
Professor Scolyer's book, Brainstorm, was published in October 2024.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
34 minutes ago
- ABC News
The Chinese Australian bringing mindfulness for Mandarin speakers to the mainstream
There is growing awareness of the impact of anxiety and mental health issues on children, even preschoolers. In Australia, the concept of mindfulness for young people is being discussed more and more in schools and childcare. Nikki Zhao, host of Soundwalks Mandarin, a mindfulness podcast targeted at children, said the practice can help create a sense of calm and expand one's imagination. Ms Zhao, who moved to Melbourne from Shanghai when she was 10, says mindfulness for children wasn't something that was brought up or spoken about when she was growing up in China. 'We didn't have a common language for mental health or meditative states,' she said. Being mindful is the act of being aware of what's happening right now. It involves using senses to be conscious of oneself and one's environment. It's what we see, hear, taste, smell and feel, but also how we feel on the inside - our emotions and thoughts and how we respond to what's happening. 'Meditation was something practised only by Buddhists, not everyday people," Ms Zhao said. "And I know that my family and parents love us, but they do this through the act of service. Not by saying, 'Why are you feeling this way? 'That kind of language wasn't just within their upbringing. So, now and being in Australia ... I feel like mental health has become something that is commonly talked about.'' Ms Zhao said through Soundwalks she aims to lift the stigma. 'Learning to talk about how we are feeling and learning to identify emotions …that, for me, is a really useful tool to sometimes just step back and have a moment to myself," she said. Bringing mindfulness into adulthood While there may not have been overt conversations around mental health in her upbringing, Ms Zhao says the concept mindfulness in her Chinese household was probably always there. 'I do believe that we found meditation through activities such as being encouraged to pick up an instrument or to take up arts and crafts like dancing or calligraphy,' she said. 'So even though it wasn't explicitly talked about, there definitely was like an intention to find peace and focus through activities.' As a busy adult, Ms Zhao said doing things like singing, exercising and walking in nature has helped her find opportunities for meditation. Nikki Zhao says Soundwalks can help children find moments of focus and peace. ( ABC: Esra Ozkul ) "Singing is just part of life ... I can find it attaching to a sound or a vibration that's happening inside of my body. It means that I feel connected to my body, my breath, and my mindset at the time to create the sound that is a result of it, rather than trying to perfect a sound.' There's a similar feeling when exercising and taking time to connect with nature. 'I definitely go out of my way to get my [nature] fix,' she said. Even if it's just a walk in the botanical gardens, 'I feel like I can connect back to nature again and refocus that nothing really matters other than being whole in that moment.'' Immerse your children in the beauty of nature and the Mandarin language with Soundwalks, an audio experience designed to help children relax, practice mindfulness, and explore the world through sound. Find it wherever you get your podcasts.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Monash IVF CEO Michael Knapp steps down after second embryo bungle
Monash IVF chief executive officer Michael Knapp has resigned following the reveal of a second embryo bungle. In a statement to the ASX, Monash IVF said its board had accepted Mr Knaap's resignation and "respects his decision". "Since his appointment in 2019, Michael has led the organisation through a period of significant growth and transformation, and we thank him for his years of dedicated service," the statement said. Monash IVF revealed on Tuesday that it had incorrectly transferred the wrong embryo to a patient — the second incident the company has apologised for in recent months. It comes two months after the company revealed a Brisbane patient was mistakenly implanted with another patient's embryo. The woman gave birth to a baby who had no genetic link to her later that year, which the ABC understands happened in 2023. Mr Knapp was also the managing the director of Monash IVF Group and had led the organisation since 2013. Chief financial officer and company secretary Malik Jainudeen has been appointed as acting CEO.
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Consumer group finds most sunscreens do not meet SPF claims
Major sunscreen brands are not living up to their SPF claims, according to a new test from consumer group Choice. Choice tested 20 popular SPF50 and SPF50+ sunscreens and found that only four lived up to the standard they claimed, with 16 falling short. SPF stands for 'sun protection factor' and is the measure of how well the sunscreen protects from the sun's UV rays. An SPF 50 sunscreen is meant to block about 98 per cent of the rays, meaning it will take 50 times longer to get burnt than with unprotected skin. The consumer group tested the products with experts in an accredited sunscreen lab, with four products returning SPF results in the 40s, four in the 30s, and seven in the 20s. Choice chief executive Ashley de Silva said the tests showed that products were not meeting consumer expectations. 'Consumers expect sunscreen to protect them in line with the SPF rating on the product, but as our testing has shown, the SPF label doesn't always match what's in the bottle,' he said. One sunscreen, Ultra Violette's lean screen SPF 50+ mattifying zinc skinscreen, astoundingly returned a result of just SPF4. 'We were really shocked to see the results for Ultra Violette's lean screen SPF 50+ product, so much so that we actually decided to test a different batch at a completely different lab in Germany to confirm the results,' Mr de Silva said. 'Those tests found the product had an SPF of 5 – an almost identical result to our initial testing.' The consumer group was, however, quick to remind people that while a sunscreen may have ranked lower than claimed in its tests, that does not mean that products do not work. A sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or 20 can still give significant sun protection and is much better than using no sunscreen at all. Choice have told the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) about the results of the tests and asked the TGA to conduct their own tests. 'Choice is calling on the TGA to urgently carry out its own sunscreen compliance testing and on the ACCC to investigate if any SPF claims are misleading,' Mr de Silva said. 'Currently, the TGA relies on reports provided by manufacturers to ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of sunscreen products. 'Unfortunately, these reports may not be providing the accurate information consumers need when choosing sunscreens for themselves and their families.'
