Milton Keynes grandad told he was dying of cancer receives new lease of life thanks to 'miracle' drug he trialled

A Milton Keynes cancer patient whose life was saved by a new drug trial has called for the treatment to be prescribed by the NHS as soon as possible.

Mick Conway, now 71, was given just 12 months to live when doctors diagnosed him with mesothelioma, a terminal cancer of the lining of the lungs, in 2017.

The cancer is associated with exposure to asbestos, often from decades previously.

Mick, who is a former builder, instructed specialist lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate where his exposure may have taken place.

The lawyers launched a successfully action against his former employers, but also referred him to a new Mesothelioma Research Programme at the Leicester Cancer Research Centre.

There, Professor Dean Fennell was working on the CheckMate-743 immunotherapy drug trial, which evaluated the use of Nivolumab (Opdivo) in combination with Ipilimumab (Yervoy).

Following the treatment, Mick’s tumours shrank incredibly from 21mm and 29mm to just 5mm. He has now lived five years past his original prognosis date and the mesothelioma is still stable.

Over the moon about his new lease of life, Mick is keen that other cancer patients should be given the same chance on the NHS.

But NICE, the body responsible for publishing drug guidelines, has now twice delayed an announcement that the new treatment is to become available.

An announcement expected in December was delayed until April 28, and Mick is now calling for this delay to be the last.

He said: “Five years ago, my mesothelioma diagnosis turned our family’s world upside down. The Checkmate trial has given me time with my family I never thought I would have and I’m determined that others should be able to benefit in the same way.

“I was lucky to have lawyers who were aware that I might be eligible for this drug trial and by choosing a law firm with recognised mesothelioma specialists, I had the opportunity to access the latest treatments I would have been unaware of otherwise."

He added: “With a positive announcement, mesothelioma patients will have the same chance at life as I did. Those living with cancer don’t have time to wait and the latest delay from NICE must be the last.

"It would be devastating if people can’t access this treatment via the NHS, so I’m staying positive the decision we get in April will be the right one and deliver hope to others with this cancer.”

Any treatments Mick needs in the future will be funded by his previous employers after his legal team, led by Satpal Singh, helped him win a legal case against them.

"While this ensures financial security for Denise and myself, without the drug trial, it’s unlikely I would still be here to see the benefit," he said.

“With a terminal cancer diagnosis, I had nothing to lose and the drug trial gave me a miracle. It’s important now that I help pave the way for others to have the same chance at life that I got.”

Mick is married to wife Denise and they have two children, Hayley and Daniel and three grandchildren.

He said the side effects of his trial treatment were tiredness, itchy hands, a reduced sense of taste and darker hair. His trial had to be paused when he contracted hepatitis in December 2017, but overall he tolerated the treatment well.

“At some points, I felt so little difference that I thought I must be on a placebo, but within a few months my tumours had shrunk. It was a miracle and Denise and I were overjoyed," he said.

“I am still having regular checks but I have not needed any further treatment and there has been no further growth in the tumours. Despite the side effects, I am so grateful to Satpal and the team for suggesting that we contact a specialist which then led to a place on the trial."

Satpal, who specialises in asbestos-related diseases Irwin Mitchell, said: “The best part of this job is being able to help people like Mick. His case shows that there is hope following a mesothelioma diagnoses, but he naturally wants to see this more widely available.

"This is the second time the announcement from NICE has been delayed and together with Mick, we are all looking forward to a positive outcome in April.

“My colleagues and I deal with many mesothelioma cases, so we knew about the clinical trial and were able to put Mick in touch with Professor Fennell and he was accepted onto the CheckMate-743 trial, but not everyone has a law firm to guide them to the best treatment options.

Satpal said making this drug available via the NHS would be a big step forward and after all the delays, a negative announcement would be a blow to many people.

"There’s a real opportunity here to start to reverse the news of a mesothelioma diagnosis from a terminal one into something treatable.

"Anything less would be a bitter disappointment to others in Mick’s shoes.”