25-02-2025
'I've been healthy all my life, then I went to the doctor feeling tired and everything changed'
A grandad-of-six went to his GP after he started wheezing and feeling very tired – but in the weeks that followed, he was left living a nightmare.
David Mather, a retired company director from Hale, says he had been 'very healthy all his life'. But when he went to his GP complaining of wheezing and fatigue, that track record was destroyed.
The 81-year-old was told he had stage four non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in October 2024 – and that the disease was at an advanced stage and had spread to his bones. Urgent treatment began, then David was offered a potentially life-changing opportunity.
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After his diagnosis, David was referred to the renowned Christie cancer treatment centre in Manchester and began a course of immunotherapy, which is a type of drug that uses the body's own immune system to fight the cancer.
But as the illness was already so advanced, David was eligible for a ground breaking clinical trial being run in Manchester. He then became one of the first patients in the world to be recruited to the largest clinical trial using radiotherapy to treat lung cancer that has spread.
David said: 'I've been very healthy all my life, so I consider myself lucky to have got to my age without anything serious. When I was offered the opportunity to participate in the trial, I was very happy to do so.
'If having radiotherapy improves my prognosis and quality of life, and reduces the symptoms, then that will be fantastic. I also hope that by participating in this trial I play a part in helping others in the future.'
The TOURIST trial is the first trial in 20 years to look at how radiotherapy could benefit late-stage metastatic lung cancer patients and could change global clinical practice for treating advanced lung cancer.
The clinical trial uses a technique called 'VMAT' (volumetric modulated arc therapy) – a form of radiotherapy that uses multiple beams of varying strengths to treat cancer. A device called a linear accelerator (LINAC) delivers high-energy beams while rotating around the patient to treat the tumours.
Giving the radiotherapy in this way makes it very accurate, shortens the treatment time, and uses a lower overall dose of radiation. It means more cancer cells can be killed while also sparing healthy tissue around the organ.
Previously, this machine has only been used to treat patients with early-stage cancer that has not spread.
Dr David Woolf, consultant oncologist at The Christie, who is the joint chief investigator for the TOURIST trial explained: 'By using this newer technology alongside standard immunotherapy or chemotherapy, we hope we can change the face of lung cancer treatment.
'We have identified an unmet need, and the aim is to use the evidence we gather from the study to change clinical practice worldwide. Potentially this could help up to a million people a year across the globe, which is tremendously exciting.'
Even though David is in his 80s, his age does not stop him from being part of the trial. Professor Matthew Hatton, Honorary Professor of Clinical Oncology at The University of Sheffield and joint chief investigator for the TOURIST trial, said: 'This is a very inclusive trial and most people with stage IV NSCLC lung cancer are eligible. David has recently turned 81-years-old, so you could think his age might exclude him from taking part in research, but certainly not in this case. We believe this treatment could be of additional benefit to all late-stage lung cancer patients, who often have a poor prognosis and typically about a year to live.
'The focus of the study is to extend and improve the quality of life of patients increasing the number of longer-term lung cancer survivors.'
The type of cancer David has, NSCLC, accounts for 85-90 per cent of all lung cancer cases worldwide with 70 per cent of patients diagnosed at stage four of the disease and 1.2m deaths globally each year. Lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer in the UK, accounting for 21 per cent of cancer deaths annually.
Around half of NSCLC lung cancer patients (44 per cent) in the UK present to their doctors with incurable stage four disease, meaning treatment focuses on controlling symptoms and extending life, rather than curing.
Nicky Downs, Senior Trial Manager for the TOURIST trial at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, said: 'It's fantastic to see the first patients being recruited into TOURIST. Clinical trials rely on people, like David, volunteering to be part of research and we are so grateful to him and everyone who signs up to the trial.
'Their participation will help us create the evidence which could lead to improved quality of life, and potentially better treatments, for more lung cancer patients in the future.'
Any patient with stage four NSCLC who would be interested in taking part in the TOURIST trial should discuss it with their local oncologist. Any patients interested in taking part in any research at The Christie should discuss this option with their consultant. Not all patients will fit the criteria for a specific trial.
While clinical trials can be successful for some patients, outcomes can vary from case to case, says The Christie. More information about taking part in clinical trials can be found here.
