Australian of the Year Richard Scolyer has released a worrying update on his recovery from a brain tumor just months after undergoing a world-leading treatment based on his own melanoma research.
Professor Scolyer and his colleague Professor Georgina Long, co-directors of the Melanoma Institute Australia, were jointly awarded the honor in January this year for their groundbreaking work in the study of skin cancer.
There was additional interest in the respected researcher when he accepted the award after it was revealed that he had been diagnosed with grade 4 incurable brain cancer in June 2023.
The father-of-three’s diagnosis came after suffering headaches and then a seizure while on holiday in Poland.
Their cancer, a glioblastoma, is often called “the worst” type of cancer due to its aggressive nature, and most patients survive less than a year after diagnosis.
After undergoing an experimental therapy based on his own melanoma research, the 57-year-old announced in May this year that he had been cancer-free for almost a year.
“I’m just thrilled and delighted… I couldn’t be happier,” he posted on social media.
But in a post on Wednesday, Professor Scolyer revealed that the results of his latest MRI brain scan showed “a small new pocket of improvement”.
Australian Professor of the Year Richard Scolyer has released a worrying update on his recovery from a brain tumor just months after using a world-leading treatment based on his own melanoma research.
Professor Scolyer posted two scanned images, the most recent on the right.
“Experts believe it is more likely to reflect a change after radiation therapy than a recurrence of glioblastoma,” he wrote.
“The plan is to do an early follow-up scan in 6 to 8 weeks to monitor it and see if it changes.”
He signed off by thanking his neuro-oncology team and the staff at Royal North Shore Hospital for “taking such good care of me”.
Professor Scolyer became the first brain cancer patient in the world to receive combination immunotherapy before surgery, which helps teach the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells.
He has widely shared his battle online to raise awareness about treatment options and the advances being made with new methods.
Professor Scolyer and his colleague Professor Georgina Long, co-directors of the Melanoma Institute Australia, were jointly awarded the prestigious national honor in January this year in recognition of their groundbreaking work in the study of skin cancer.
After his initial brain scan, Professor Scolyer said he knew the revelation of an area of clear, cloudy matter in the upper right corner of his skull was worrying.
“I’m not an expert in radiology, but… in my heart I knew it was a tumor,” he said.
The discovery prompted him to consider whether his melanoma research might be relevant to treating his own brain cancer.
‘It didn’t sit well with me to just accept certain death without trying something. Is it incurable cancer? Well, to hell with that!’
About 300,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with glioblastoma each year.
Many people who commented on her latest post shared stories of family members lost to the insidious disease.
After undergoing an experimental therapy based on his own melanoma research, the 57-year-old father of three announced in May of this year that he had been cancer-free for almost a year.
What a damn warrior you are! one wrote praising Professor Scolyer.
“My beautiful husband passed away in August from this horrendous disease, just 12 months after being diagnosed,” another person posted.
‘It’s such a cruel disease.
“You are very inspiring, Richard, and thank you for sharing.”
Professor Scolyer’s experimental treatment is expected to lead to clinical trials for other patients, which could extend their lives.
Daily Mail Australia has approached Professor Scolyer for comment.