Duncan just after surgery (Image: The Christie)
A 55 year-old struck with ‘incurable’ stage 4 lung cancer six years ago that spread to his brain has miraculously seen the disease vanish … thanks to an NHS drug. Duncan Edmonstone, of Sandbach, in Cheshire, was rushed to hospital in 2020 following a seizure and horrified when doctors revealed he had advanced lung cancer that spread to his brain.
Emergency surgery at Salford Royal, part of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, removed the tumour from his head but genetic testing revealed he was one of just 5 percent of non-small cell lung cancer patients with the rare but easier to treat ‘ALK+’ mutation. For reasons scientists are still working out, ALK+ lung cancer is more common in younger to middle-aged people who don’t smoke – like Duncan.
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After his operation, Duncan was referred to Manchester’s specialist cancer centre The Christie NHS Foundation Trust to start targeted treatment alectinib – and now he has “no detectable” sign of cancer.
Although the ex-IT worker knows he has probably not seen the last of the disease, while he remains on alectinib he says the extra hope means he is living life to the full every day.
Duncan explained: “I didn’t have any of the traditional symptoms like a persistent cough or chest pain, so the diagnosis came as a real shock. One minute I was fine and the next I was being rushed to hospital.
“It took me about three to four months to come to terms with it. Before I was diagnosed, I didn’t realise how many different types of lung cancer there are.
“The overall survival stats for stage four lung cancer are poor, so I was preparing for the worst, but here I am six years later.
“The drug I’m on comes as tablets which I can take at home. I have had minimal side effects which has allowed me to live life as fully as I can.”
Duncan, who has been married to artist and art teacher Kay since 1998, has done a lot of travelling over the last few years.
He added: “Beach holidays are out because my treatment means I’m very sensitive to the sun.
“But Kay and I spent a month in New Zealand a couple of years ago and have since been to Greenland and Iceland. We’re also looking to do an off-season tour of the Med.
“I’ve been on a bit of a wild ride, but I’m so thankful to be alive and making memories. My team at The Christie are great and have been supportive of me throughout.
“In addition to seeing the world, Duncan is also involved in advocacy and patient support work.
“I volunteer to help people who are in the same situation I was a few years ago and to give the patient perspective to the brilliant NHS teams that are treating cancer.
“In addition to giving back, it’s also helped me come to terms with what’s happened to me.
Duncan completing a charity Walk of Hope with Kay (Image: The Christie)
Dr David Woolf, Duncan’s consultant at The Christie, told us: “It’s great to see that Duncan is doing so well six years after his original diagnosis and that he’s so involved with helping other patients.
“Most advanced lung cancers, however, are much more difficult to treat, and that’s why early diagnosis is important.
“If you have had a persistent cough that has lasted for three weeks or more, get out of breath easily or have lost weight without knowing why, you should go and see your GP as soon as possible.
“A full list of symptoms, as well as advice to help you stop smoking is available on the NHS website.”
* To donate to The Christie and help more patients like Duncan, please visit – The Christie Charity
Duncan and Kay are enjoying life (Image: The Christie)
What Is ALK+ lung cancer?
Dr Fabio Gomes – a consultant medical oncologist in the lung cancer team at The Christie (Image: The Christie)
Explaining Duncan’s rare ALK+ lung cancer, Dr Fabio Gomes – a consultant medical oncologist in the lung cancer team at The Christie – told the Express: “ALK+ lung cancer occurs when a gene called the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene fuses with another gene.
“This changes the way the signalling works within the cell, causing the cancer cells to continuously divide and replicate. It happens at random and is not something that can be inherited from your parents.
“The ALK+ mutation was only discovered less than 20 years ago. Within six years of its discovery, the first targeted treatment was approved for use on the NHS.
“These types of drugs – called tyrosine kinase inhibitors – are the cornerstone of treatment. They work very successfully by blocking the chemical signals telling these cancer cells to grow and divide.
“Over the years these targeted treatments have been perfected, with the latest NHS approvals being for the third generation of the drugs.
“Around 5% of people diagnosed with lung cancer will have an ALK+ mutation. The profile of people with ALK+ is not the usual patient with lung cancer.
“The median age for someone diagnosed with an ALK+ mutation is 50-52 years, while the average age at diagnosis of the general lung cancer population is 74.
“It’s also more prevalent in people who have never smoked, and that low suspicion often results in late diagnosis when the cancer is more advanced.
“Like Duncan, many patients can struggle to come to terms with their diagnosis and awareness among GPs and other primary care health professionals is also lower than it should be.
“As a result, The Christie has recently launched a dedicated educational website that gives patients and clinicians everything they need to know about ALK+ lung cancer – from signs and symptoms to the science behind how it develops and treatment options.”
* You can find out more at ALKnowledge.org.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
