‘My brother achieved so much after his cancer diagnosis aged 15'
But in 2003, their carefree lives changed forever when Mark was diagnosed with melanoma. He was just 15 when his barber drew attention to a birthmark on his head – it had changed into a dark, raised lump. It turned out to be nodular melanoma, a type of skin cancer known for its tendency to spread, and two surgeries followed. But the prognosis was bleak. The family were told Mark had just a 50 per cent chance of surviving five years.
'Luckily, Mark was a very positive person who just got on with life,' says Dave, now an emergency medicine consultant. 'We both went on to medical school, and Mark never let that initial diagnosis define him – he passed that five-year mark, graduated and continued to lead a happy, healthy life.'
But in January 2015, Mark developed a cough and abdominal pain while working as a junior doctor. Just before his 27th birthday, scans showed the melanoma had spread to his liver, lungs and spleen. 'We were absolutely destroyed,' says Dave. 'Both being doctors, we knew the implications and that Mark would probably die. It was a terrible time for our family.
'But then we discovered how much melanoma treatment had moved on in the 12 years since Mark's first diagnosis. His doctors first thought he might die within weeks, but after giving him a new targeted cancer drug, he quickly felt much better.
'Mark had an increased risk of developing melanoma due to having a mutation in a gene called BRAF. Cancer Research UK co-funded research that identified and characterised BRAF mutations in cancer and paved the way for industry to develop treatments, including one that Mark received. Today, more than eight in 10 people who receive cancer drugs in the UK receive a drug developed by or with Cancer Research UK*, often giving them more time with the people they love.
'The benefits lasted a year, then immunotherapy worked for a while. We got nearly two extra years with Mark, and he achieved so much in that time. He went back to work, fell in love, got engaged and was best man at my wedding – something that meant so much to both of us."
'Mark was determined to do whatever he could to help others, fundraising for Cancer Research UK and achieving his target of raising £100,000 a few weeks before he died,' continues Dave. 'That extra time was invaluable. It gave us special memories and a better sense of closure – and we have the advances in treatment to thank for that.'
Mark was treated at the Royal Marsden NHS Trust. Around six months before he died, Mark was told about the pioneering Cancer Research UK-funded PEACE study (Posthumous Evaluation of Advanced Cancer Environment). This project invites people with advanced cancer to give informed consent for tissue samples to be collected before and after their death. These donations enable the PEACE team to study how cancer spreads and why treatments stop working in the final stages of cancer 1.
Professor Samra Turajlic led the melanoma team at the Marsden 2 and supported patients like Mark to take part in the study. Her lab's subsequent work at the Francis Crick Institute identified key aspects of how melanomas evade immunotherapy by profoundly altering their genome, giving them many paths to treatment resistance.
But it didn't stop there. The PEACE study has since provided even more insights. One finding relates to the ability of melanoma to lose genes necessary for immunotherapy to work. The role genes play is of particular interest to Dave, as his family is genetically predisposed to the disease – several of them have successfully had melanomas surgically removed, including him. The PEACE study results present the most detailed picture yet of what melanoma looks like in the final stages of life and could pave the way for more targeted treatments in future.
'Evidence shows that immunotherapy could be a transformational treatment for up to half of people diagnosed with advanced melanoma,' says Professor Turajlic, now director of the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute. 'However, for the remaining 50 per cent, we urgently need to understand why treatments don't always work. The PEACE study provides a unique opportunity to do so, because of the ability to study tumours throughout the body and piece together the puzzle of their evolution. We as clinical and research teams are extremely humbled by the willingness of patients and families to consider research at such a difficult time, and we honour their commitment by conducting meaningful work in the PEACE programme.'
For Mark, there was no hesitation when he was asked to donate samples. 'There was no question,' says Dave. 'He was so grateful for the advances that allowed him to extend his life and the people who made that happen. And by then, his main focus was reducing the risk of skin cancer for others.'
Mark died on 19 January 2017, aged 28, surrounded by his family and friends. 'Everyone wants to feel that their life has meaning and taking part in the PEACE study definitely gave Mark an extra sense of purpose,' says Dave. 'He may have had a relatively short life, but he achieved so much and made a huge contribution to the world. I'm so proud of what Mark did.'
Cancer Research UK is the world's largest charitable funder of cancer research. Through the work of more than 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses, it carries out world-class research into the prevention, detection and treatment of more than 200 types of cancer.
For over 100 years, Cancer Research UK has been working to beat cancer. Its research into innovative, kinder and more effective treatments has changed millions of lives around the world. Launching some of the earliest studies into risk factors, it has continued to lead the field — uncovering key drivers of skin cancer and paving the way for more targeted therapies. But there's so much more to do. The charity wants to bring about a world where everybody lives longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.
References:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE New mom details shocking cost of giving birth in America
A new mom has shared the shockingly high cost of giving birth in America - and it's well over six figures. Emily Fisher, 36, from Columbus, Ohio, welcomed twin girls last month and was left stunned when she saw an insurance claim come through for her delivery that was over $10,000. Completely shocked by the immense figure, she decided to go back and total up all the bills she had received over the course of her pregnancy to determine just how much having a baby in the US really costs. And after adding everything up, Emily found that having her baby girls would have cost her a whopping $120,527.51 had she not had insurance. She shared her findings in a video shared to TikTok earlier this month and it quickly went viral, leaving thousands across the globe just as surprised as she was. 'So I am five weeks postpartum with twin girls and I've been seeing a lot of headlines recently about how the birth rate in America is declining and how concerning that is,' Emily began in the video. 'I thought to myself, I could think of a lot of reasons why the birth rate might be declining. First and foremost, cost. 'So I decided to take it upon myself and look at every bill that I received over the course of my pregnancy and total what it costs to deliver twins in America.' Emily explained that she is considered 'advanced maternal age' and was pregnant with 'dichorionic diamniotic twins' which made her pregnancy 'high risk.' In addition, about halfway through the pregnancy her doctor raised concerns about potential 'fetal growth restriction,' so from about 22 weeks on she had to have two appointments every week with her OBGYN and a maternal fetal medicine specialist to make sure the babies were healthy. 'So what was the total cost of that? From the start of my pregnancy through delivery and me walking out of those hospital doors, the total bill for my care was $120,527.51,' she said in the video. 'Now I am very fortunate great insurance and I have a low deductible so over the course of my pregnancy out of pocket I paid $2,038.70. 'I know that is relatively good but still, $2,000 for something that is considered necessary and vital to the future of America is pretty significant.' Emily added that on top of that, her newborns both received bills for their delivery. 'It's kind of funny, they're not even able to blink yet and they've already been billed more than the total cost of my student loans,' she continued. 'Baby A received a bill for $15,124.55 and Baby B was billed $14,875.55, I guess there was some sort of sibling discount. She added, 'The total cost I owed for those two bills was $750, which was the cost of my deductible.' The bills are seen above 'The total cost I owed for those two bills was $750, which was the cost of my deductible.' She then broke down what some of the highest costs were during the pregnancy. Unsurprisingly, the delivery itself and the hospital stay afterwards was the most costly expense. Emily explained that she had a scheduled C-section at 37 weeks and spent four days in the hospital post delivery, and the total cost of her care before insurance was $65,665.50. The second highest cost during the pregnancy was an appointment she had about seven months in, during which she complained to her doctor that she was having headaches. She said they took her blood pressure and it was slightly elevated, so they monitored the heart rate of the babies for 20 minutes to 'make sure they were okay.' She was then given 'two extra strength Tylenol' and they 'did some blood work.' 'The cost that was billed to my insurance for that visit was $9,115,' shared the new mom. 'All things considered, I'm very grateful for the experience that I had and very grateful to have great insurance, but I know that for a lot of people who live in America that is simply not possible,' she concluded. 'And if I did not have insurance delivery my two baby girls, I would not be able to afford it. 'In fact, I probably would have had to file bankruptcy had I not had insurance. So when people act confused why the birth rates are down, maybe it's not necessarily all attributed to lifestyle choices, maybe it's not because people aren't feeling the vibe of having kids, maybe it's because the cost of having a baby in America is over six figures.' While chatting with the Daily Mail about it, Emily, who used to work on the healthcare space, said she believes the insurance system in America 'needs a complete overhaul.' 'Given that the US is the one of (if not the only) developed nation in the world without some sort of universal healthcare, we're falling behind,' she said. 'People are spending too much on basic and necessary care. Medical debt is one of the number one reasons for bankruptcy in the US, and it shouldn't be that way. 'If we invested in a system that put the health its people first, everyone would be better off. 'And given the decline in birth rates, if our politicians are genuinely concerned about falling birth rates, they would be incentivizing people to have children. You shouldn't have to pay to give birth.' She added that while she was 'shocked' by the high number that her insurance was billed, she was 'not surprised at the same time.' 'The first thing that came to mind when I saw the total was, "How do people without insurance afford this?"' she shared. 'But I've always known that healthcare in America is a business. Ultimately, like most necessities in the US, privatized insurance is designed to make money.' She said she certainly wasn't expecting her video, which was viewed more than one million times, to get as much attention as it did, but she's so glad that it has sparked a conversation. 'I hope my video makes people think twice about having kids in America. Because until the system is redesigned to truly support the people, we shouldn't be buying into it,' she concluded. 'I'm fortunate to have good health coverage. I'm not on the hook for much as far as the cost of my pregnancy, but that is only the beginning for my family and what we'll pay to raise my kids. 'Now we have to think about things like paying for their health coverage, daycare, food, housing and college. 'All of these things are only getting more and more expensive and almost unreachable for people.'
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Richard Bacon reveals he's now reliant on heartburn tablets and vitamin injections to cope with the fallout from his heavy drinking - and quit AA because it's 'boring'
Richard Bacon has opened up about his long-running struggle with alcohol addiction - admitting he's sleep-deprived and reliant on heartburn tablets and vitamin injections to cope with the fallout from heavy drinking. Richard was famously just 18 months into his dream job at Blue Peter when he was fired at the age of 22 after admitting he took cocaine in a London nightclub in 1997. He has since been open about his continuing addiction struggles, recently opening up in a candid podcast chat. The presenter, now 49, said that he struggles to take accountability after a doctor told him his addiction is a disease inherited from his alcoholic mother. 'I went to see an alcohol doctor not long ago,' he said in the chat. 'I'm not out of control or anything, but I do think I should drink less. It affects your sleep and I get bored of being tired. 'I don't get enough sleep because I drink too much. I enjoy drinking.' Speaking on The Perfect Day podcast with Jessica Knappett, he added: 'You know you drink too much when you have a lot of Rennie. You know you're middle aged and you drink too much and you're popping those things.' The father-of-two also confessed to a regular habit of having vitamin B12 injections to cope with the after-effects of drinking too much. 'A vitamin B12 injection in your bum is famously good for hangovers. It brings you back to life,' he said. 'At the end of last year and for the first few months of this year, I had one a week. I've got this doctor - he's a bit like Michael Jackson's doctor - he just gives me anything I ask for.' 'At one point I had eight prescriptions and there wasn't really much wrong with me. He's just like, 'you're a bit deficient in this, bit deficient in that. Bit of this, bit of that.' A lot of it's sort of vitamin based, but weirdly prescription based. But it did work… He's terrific.' Richard was sacked from children's TV programme Blue Peter in 1998 after admitting to taking cocaine. To this day he is the only presenter in the history of the show to have been sacked. 'I got a Blue Peter job at 21 and then lost it at 22 and it was a big scandal at the time,' Richard reflected. 'I suppose there's something about getting caught for taking drugs where you can just come back, can't you? It's not one of the worst ones. 'There are far worse ones that make you look like a malicious person. If you beat someone up, do something aggressively sexual, say something racist... those reveal something about you that people don't like. I think the desire to get drunk and get high is something people generally can get over.' Now a successful creator of TV formats and the man behind shows like This Is My House and I Literally Just Told You, Richard admits his lifestyle can still get in the way. 'What I find annoying about myself is if I have a night of not drinking, I'll go into the office - I work on ideas... and I'll just have so much energy, and I'll be better at it.' Despite still drinking regularly, he added he ditched Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) because he found the meetings 'boring'. 'I've gone through loads of periods of stopping, and I've done periods of AA. I admire AA. It's a strange combination of people telling the most dramatic stories you've ever heard that I find really boring. I'm not even joking.' He recalled one meeting in Chelsea with several famous faces in the room. 'This guy was telling this story - he'd come out of prison and he'd gone to prison because he'd got high and he'd stolen a car and he was chased by a police helicopter then he drove through a police barricade. And I remember just sitting there checking my watch going, 'boring!' 'Imagine someone you know telling you that story? But somehow it's just one dramatic story after another, and it became a bit numb to it.' Despite this, he praised the 'generosity' of long-term sober members who continue to attend meetings seemingly to help others. 'If I'd been sober for 15 years, I wouldn't still be going to AA, and listening to more stories,' he said. 'I think for some of them, they are fairly certain they won't drink again but they do want to help. So it's a very positive place. It just didn't work for me.' Richard, who said he was diagnosed with 'a particularly strong strain of ADHD' aged 42, recently consulted a specialist about why he drinks so much - and was told he inherited the destructive tendency. 'My mum's basically an alcoholic. My granddad died of alcoholism. He went, 'Well that's why, it's just genetics.' 'I said, some people think it's the result of childhood trauma or something you've been running away from or not dealt with. And he was like, 'Nah, it's just genetics. It's a disease.' 'So now I think I can just say to my wife: it's not my fault! It's grandad's fault. It's mum's fault.' He added: 'I drink and I enjoy it and I don't seem to get in trouble so it's fine. It's not so much that I'm worried about being dangerous. I just the calories and the sleep. That bit is annoying.' To slash calories in his drink, he said, he avoids beer and red wine and sticks to vodka - particularly in the form of a martini with a twist. 'When you go to a bar and order vodka and they go, what sort of vodka do you want? I think they all taste the same! It's so irrelevant.' The former Radio 5 Live and Capital FM host lives in north London with his wife Rebecca McFarlane and their two children, Arthur, 13, and Ivy, 11. He admits parenthood didn't quite sober him up the way people might expect. '[Rebecca] had always wanted to be a mum,' he explained. 'So it was a really wonderful thing, but I think she looks back with disappointment at me at that time because I was still going out and not pulling my weight and coming in late. 'I think those first few years, I didn't snap into what you're kind of required to do quickly enough. So there was too much of a burden on her.' He continued: 'I hadn't wanted to be a parent until I met her, and then we fell in love really intensely. And she would talk about kids a lot, and that made me think, oh, right, OK. 'I recently tried to imagine having another baby... I'm so pleased I'm out of that phase. Rebecca did the real work here, but it is definitely harder than people say. 'No one really says how hard it is. They're constantly relying on me to keep them alive. It's like, f***ing hell. When they're young - two, three, four - they're flat out annoying.'
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Obesity drugmaker Novo Nordisk plunges as it cuts forecasts again
COPENHAGEN, July 29 (Reuters) - Obesity drugmaker Novo Nordisk ( opens new tab on Tuesday cut its full-year sales and operating profit forecasts for the second time this year, sending its shares down as much as 17%. The maker of weight-loss drug Wegovy is struggling to convince investors it can remain competitive in the obesity drug boom against U.S. rival Eli Lilly (LLY.N), opens new tab. Novo shares have fallen sharply over the past year. "The lowered sales outlook for 2025 is driven by lower growth expectations for the second half of 2025," the company said in a statement. "This is related to lower growth expectations for Wegovy in the U.S. obesity market, lower growth expectations for Ozempic in the U.S. GLP-1 diabetes market, as well as lower-than-expected penetration for Wegovy in select IO (International Operations) markets," it said. Novo now expects 2025 sales growth of 8%-14% in local currencies, down from its previous 13%-21% forecast range. It also lowered its operating profit growth estimate to 10%-16%, from 16-24% previously. Sales rose 18% year-on-year in both the second quarter and the first half of the year, Novo said. Its operating profit increased by 40% in the April-June quarter and by 29% in the first half, the company added. Booming sales of Wegovy catapulted Novo to become Europe's most valuable listed company in 2024, peaking at about 615 billion euros, but the value has since fallen by more than half. CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen was ousted in May by Novo and its controlling shareholder, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, but will remain in his position until a successor is appointed. The company is scheduled to release full second-quarter earnings on August 6.
