Latest news with #Ipilimumab
Wales Online
7 days ago
- Health
- Wales Online
'One check saw me find my husband's lump, it is stage four cancer'
'One check saw me find my husband's lump, it is stage four cancer' Stuart now needs experimental therapy abroad to have a chance of survival Stuart and his pet Jack Russell, Nola A woman doing a last-minute safety check before her husband set off on a zipline spotted something concerning - a significant lump on his neck. Lauren Smith and husband Stuart were on holiday in Cornwall and about to zip over the Eden Project. Lauren, 30, said: "I saw a lump on the side of Stu's neck. It looked harmless at the time. We agreed he'd get it checked out when we got home." Stuart, now 40, was healthy, active, and travelling internationally for work as an accountant. Neither of them expected that one small lump would lead to her now making an appeal to save his life. The lump on his neck has progressed to Stage 4 with tumours in his brain, liver, lungs, thigh, and lymph nodes. Weeks after that holiday in Cornwall in August 2019, Stu was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma — a type of skin cancer that in his case had no clear origin, known as 'melanoma with an unknown primary.' Stu's lump was diagnosed as a rare melanoma This rare diagnosis occurs in just a small percentage of melanoma patients. He underwent a major neck dissection to remove 28 lymph nodes and part of a neck muscle after the cancer was found to have started spreading. Article continues below A genetic mutation, BRAF, was detected, which allowed him to begin targeted drug therapy, Dabrafenib and Trametinib - a daily treatment aimed at keeping the cancer at bay. The scans came back clear. Stu returned to work and the couple adopted a Jack Russell named Nala. But in March 2023, a routine PET scan revealed that the melanoma had returned, this time in Stu's liver and thigh. His condition was upgraded to Stage 4. He began immunotherapy treatment with a combination of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab - powerful drugs designed to help the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. But just two cycles in, Stu suffered severe complications and was admitted to hospital with Grade 3 immune-related hepatitis. His liver began to fail, and he spent a month in hospital. "Every time we got our hopes up, we were knocked down again," said Lauren. "But Stu never gave up. He always faced it with strength." In August 2023, the couple got engaged on their 10-year anniversary. They decided to cancel their long-term wedding plans and were married in a quiet ceremony on December 30, 2024, surrounded by close family and friends. "It was one of the happiest days of our lives and one of the hardest," Lauren said. "We didn't know what lay ahead, but we knew we didn't want to wait." Early in 2024, targeted therapy showed some promising results, with signs of tumour shrinkage. However, by May, the cancer had built resistance and began to spread again, this time to Stu's lungs, lymph nodes, and eventually his brain. In December 2024, he began chemotherapy three consecutive days every three weeks. The wedding day was arranged in a hurry as Stu is undergoing intensive therapy Stu experienced hair loss, fatigue, and confusion. He continued to work when possible and pushed through each cycle with resilience. Then, in March 2025, the couple faced another major blow. On the evening of 11 March, Lauren returned home from work to find Stu confused and unable to speak. He was rushed to hospital where a scan revealed a large tumour and a bleed on the brain. "It was terrifying," Lauren said. "For a while, he couldn't talk, and I could see how scared he was. But even then, he never stopped fighting." The swelling was brought under control with steroids, but Stu was left with aphasia, a condition that impaired his ability to speak. For days, he could understand what was being said to him, but couldn't respond. After a week in hospital, he returned home. Then came a breakthrough. His first words were: "Ready to fight." Soon after, Stu underwent a craniotomy. The NHS team successfully removed the brain tumour and blood clot. His speech slowly returned, and he began recovering at home. But the cancer was still growing. And there were no treatment options left in the UK that could offer a meaningful chance of long-term survival. The only remaining hope lies in accessing a cutting-edge therapy available in Israel called TIL therapy (Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocyte therapy). Stu and Lauren were married at the end of last year This treatment involves removing tumour tissue, isolating immune cells from it, growing them in a lab, and reintroducing them into the body to attack the cancer. "This is the last option we have," Lauren said. "It's not just about extending life, it's about giving him a real chance." The treatment, hospital stay, and associated travel costs are expected to total £165,000. So far, supporters have raised just over £70,000. "We're overwhelmed by the support so far," Lauren said. Article continues below "Every donation, every message, every share — it means the world to us." Anyone who wants to help can visit their GoFundMe page via
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I was checking to make sure my husband was safe, but I found a deadly lump'
Stuart now needs to raise thousands of pounds for radical therapy in Israel A woman doing a last-minute safety check before her husband set off on a zipline spotted something concerning - a significant lump on his neck. Lauren Smith and husband Stuart were on holiday in Cornwall and about to zip over the Eden Project. Lauren, 30, said: "I saw a lump on the side of Stu's neck. It looked harmless at the time. We agreed he'd get it checked out when we got home." Stuart, now 40, was healthy, active, and travelling internationally for work as an accountant. Neither of them expected that one small lump would lead to her now making an appeal to save his life. The lump on his neck has progressed to Stage 4 with tumours in his brain, liver, lungs, thigh, and lymph nodes. Weeks after that holiday in Cornwall in August 2019, Stu was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma — a type of skin cancer that in his case had no clear origin, known as 'melanoma with an unknown primary.' This rare diagnosis occurs in just a small percentage of melanoma patients. He underwent a major neck dissection to remove 28 lymph nodes and part of a neck muscle after the cancer was found to have started spreading. A genetic mutation, BRAF, was detected, which allowed him to begin targeted drug therapy, Dabrafenib and Trametinib - a daily treatment aimed at keeping the cancer at bay. The scans came back clear. Stu returned to work and the couple adopted a Jack Russell named Nala. But in March 2023, a routine PET scan revealed that the melanoma had returned, this time in Stu's liver and thigh. His condition was upgraded to Stage 4. He began immunotherapy treatment with a combination of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab - powerful drugs designed to help the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. But just two cycles in, Stu suffered severe complications and was admitted to hospital with Grade 3 immune-related hepatitis. His liver began to fail, and he spent a month in hospital. "Every time we got our hopes up, we were knocked down again," said Lauren. "But Stu never gave up. He always faced it with strength." In August 2023, the couple got engaged on their 10-year anniversary. They decided to cancel their long-term wedding plans and were married in a quiet ceremony on December 30, 2024, surrounded by close family and friends. "It was one of the happiest days of our lives and one of the hardest," Lauren said. "We didn't know what lay ahead, but we knew we didn't want to wait." Early in 2024, targeted therapy showed some promising results, with signs of tumour shrinkage. However, by May, the cancer had built resistance and began to spread again, this time to Stu's lungs, lymph nodes, and eventually his brain. In December 2024, he began chemotherapy three consecutive days every three weeks. Stu experienced hair loss, fatigue, and confusion. He continued to work when possible and pushed through each cycle with resilience. Then, in March 2025, the couple faced another major blow. On the evening of 11 March, Lauren returned home from work to find Stu confused and unable to speak. He was rushed to hospital where a scan revealed a large tumour and a bleed on the brain. "It was terrifying," Lauren said. "For a while, he couldn't talk, and I could see how scared he was. But even then, he never stopped fighting." The swelling was brought under control with steroids, but Stu was left with aphasia, a condition that impaired his ability to speak. For days, he could understand what was being said to him, but couldn't respond. After a week in hospital, he returned home. Then came a breakthrough. His first words were: "Ready to fight." Soon after, Stu underwent a craniotomy. The NHS team successfully removed the brain tumour and blood clot. His speech slowly returned, and he began recovering at home. But the cancer was still growing. And there were no treatment options left in the UK that could offer a meaningful chance of long-term survival. The only remaining hope lies in accessing a cutting-edge therapy available in Israel called TIL therapy (Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocyte therapy). This treatment involves removing tumour tissue, isolating immune cells from it, growing them in a lab, and reintroducing them into the body to attack the cancer. "This is the last option we have," Lauren said. "It's not just about extending life, it's about giving him a real chance." The treatment, hospital stay, and associated travel costs are expected to total £165,000. So far, supporters have raised just over £70,000. "We're overwhelmed by the support so far," Lauren said. "Every donation, every message, every share — it means the world to us." Anyone who wants to help can visit their GoFundMe page via
Otago Daily Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Banding together to help save a life from cancer
Geraldine musicians are joining forces to help raise money for essential medication for a bandmate's daughter. Local musician Craig Workman's daughter Kim was diagnosed with stage four metastatic melanoma in March. The most effective treatment for the type of cancer she had was four cycles of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab, but it is not funded in New Zealand. The cost was $60,000 for four cycles of treatment. While a Givealittle page had been set up to raise money for her to access the drugs, a few weeks ago the cancer had progressed to a stage where a faster-acting drug — also not funded — was needed. A 10cm tumour pushing on her stomach had made eating almost impossible and simple things like vacuuming and washing had become painful. Miss Workman said the doctors had a "quick consultation in the hallway" and she had been moved straight to hospice for symptom control. "They were amazing, the care was absolutely phenomenal." She said people might think hospice was solely for end-of-life care, but that was not the case for everyone. Because the day Miss Workman found out she needed to change medication was a public holiday, her partner Sade Hopkins had flown to Auckland where a friend was waiting with the $5000 medication she had purchased from a chemist. Miss Workman said she could feel the tumours were reducing, and in the last week-and-a-half she had begun to feel better, even managing to drive to Timaru. Once the cancer stabilised she would begin again on Ipilimumab and Nivolumab. When her father's bandmates and choirmates found out Mr Workman's daughter needed help, they came up with the idea of a fundraising concert. Musical director Glenys Carson said that being in a choir "it seemed fairly natural to do a concert". Mrs Carson said the Geraldine community got behind them with other bands stepping forward to play. She said Mr Workman was "definitely a prominent person" in the musical scene in Geraldine, often playing at the farmers markets. While Mr Workman and his wife Paulette are now on the road for a new job, they would return for their daughter's fundraiser. Miss Hopkins said her partner's parents' new job was unfortunate timing. On February 1 they had been offered the new job, and on March 1 their daughter had been diagnosed. "Kim is just a naturally strong and uplifting person, it has been hard seeing her in pain." The couple met 16 years ago working at the same restaurant, and while Miss Hopkins had initially said she hoped for another 16 years, on further reflection, "another 60 would be great". The concert will be held on Saturday, May 31 at 2pm at St Mary's Church. Door sales and cash only.
Daily Mail
27-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
A cancer drug available on the NHS could treat an incurable lung disease that plagues more than 30,000 Britons
A cancer drug available on the NHS could treat an incurable lung disease that plagues more than 30,000 Britons, a study claims. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) occurs when scar tissue builds up in the lungs, causing the walls to stiffen and making it difficult to breathe. The condition primarily affects older adults and leads to a persistent cough, fatigue, weight loss and muscle aches. Symptoms rapidly worsen, and its cause is unknown. Though the scarring can be managed by medications such as antifibrotics, average life expectancy once IPF sets in is just three to five years. However, a group of American scientists claim a cancer drug already used by the Health Service can reverse damage caused by the condition. Ipilimumab blocks the CTLA-4 protein – which suppresses the immune system – to allow the body to better recognise and attack diseased cells. The protein has also been proven to contribute towards lung scarring by negating fibroblast cells, which repair damaged tissue. In IPF sufferers, fibroblasts do not function properly. But ipilimumab can also be administered to aid lung-tissue regeneration, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation reveals. Mice that received the drug intravenously showed much-improved lung-repair ability and recovered faster than those not on the medication. 'This opens up an entirely new direction for potential treatment of IPF,' says lead author Dr Santu Yadav, assistant professor of medicine at the Tulane University School of Medicine. The researchers are hopeful the same 'immune-rejuvenating' approach could also be used to treat Alzheimer's and heart disease.
