New drug trial gives Alex back his life

2 Feb 2018

Less than one year ago, 55-year-old Alex Marshall was told he only had 12 months to live.

 After a period of unexplained back pain, the otherwise fit and healthy father was bowled over with a diagnosis of aggressive lung cancer and was facing his final months in palliative care.

“Within a week I was in surgery to place two rods in my back to stabilise my spine. I was then placed under the watch of a palliative care specialist to manage my pain and given the shocking news that I had about a year to live,” Alex said.

Alex’s only option for treatment was chemotherapy, which can have debilitating side effects, so when his Oncologist suggested an immunotherapy trial, Alex jumped at the opportunity.

“By this stage I was a physical and mental mess. I was using walking sticks and I actually fell over on the way to my first appointment with Associate Professor Kynan Feeney,” Alex recalls.

“But after only six weeks on the trial, the tumour in my lung was reduced by 80 per cent, and after three months it was almost undetectable. Because this is a new drug therapy, we don’t know what the future holds, but for now my cancer is being managed,” Alex said.

Today, thanks to the new cancer treatment being trialled by St John of God Murdoch Hospital’s Oncology Clinical Trials Unit, Alex’s cancer is almost undetectable.

It is only due to the generosity of the community, that we are able to continue these clinical drug trials to help people like Alex.

He is living life to the full, loving time with his wife Shannon and seven-year-old daughter Alexis, who he describes as his strength and inspiration.

Alex and Shannon are very grateful he was given the opportunity to take part in the clinical trial, which is testing a combination of two immunotherapy drugs for cancer treatment. Their hope is that every cancer patient will one day be able to access the same treatment.

“It’s truly a miracle,” Shannon said. “I have never seen anything like it.”

Associate Professor Feeney is also thrilled with Alex’s recovery and honoured to have played a personal role in giving him back quality of life.

“It is results like this, which make a difference to real people’s lives - that make our jobs as researchers so worthwhile,” he said.

Your gift today will go towards research projects that further enhance patient experience and clinical outcomes.

Image: The West Australian