Former Australian of the Year Professor Richard Scolyer shares powerful message after grim update on his brain cancer diagnosis
The 58-year-old was diagnosed with 'incurable' glioblastoma in June 2023 after he suffered headaches and seizures while on holiday.
He experienced no signs of cancer reoccurrence for two years following a trial of experimental treatment developed by his colleague and joint Australian of the Year recipient, Professor Georgia Long.
The treatment helped him defy a six-month prediction after he was told he was cancer-free last November. However, the following March the tumour returned and the father-of-three was given just months to live.
On Monday, Prof Scolyer revealed the glioblastoma in the left side of his brain had progressed as he shared the results of a recent MRI on his Instagram.
'A recent MRI scan showed, in the left side of my brain, further progress of my glioblastoma (IDH wild-type, etc.) and related adjacent reactive change,' he wrote.
'Whilst this may not be the best direction to be heading with my changes, amazingly (to me), I still seem keen to keep living, loving and having fun, whenever possible.
'I feel like there are quite a few people on my team (including my family & friends) and they make me happy & proud!'
The professor received a flood of well-wishes on his post.
'Without a doubt you are the most loved and respected man. We all are so proud of you,' one person wrote.
'A legend forever mate. A whole country is on your side,' a second shared.
'You continue to be an inspiration to so many, Richard. Thanks for sharing all the updates, good and bad, we are all with you,' a third said.
In March, Prof Scolyer said that while some of his recurrent tumour had been removed, surgeons were unable to remove other parts.
'Unfortunately, there is a larger volume of quickly growing brain cancer in my left brain. The prognosis is poor,' he said on Instagram.
He said he wasn't sure how effective the experimental treatment would be, but that he hoped the data produced 'will make a difference for others'.
Prof Scolyer and his colleague Professor Long were named Australians of the Year for the thousands of lives they saved in pioneering new treatments for melanoma using immunotherapy.
He is a prolific author, having penned more than 700 publications and book chapters on melanoma pathology, which garnered him a reputation as one of the world's leading experts in the field.
The 2021 Order of Australia recipient remains philosophical about his journey, stating that he 'just wants to make a difference'. He has been praised for his openness and bravery in documenting his cancer journey.
In an emotional interview with Ally Langdon on A Current Affair in March, Prof Scolyer said he was 'not ready to go yet'.
'It's not fair, but there's a lesson for everyone… make the most of every day because you don't know what's around the corner,' he added.
The father-of-three recently celebrated his eldest daughter Emily's 21st birthday.
'It was so nice to catch up with friends and family to celebrate her. She is an amazing daughter & we love her so much!' he wrote on Facebook.
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