therapy for prostate cancer
This week, The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre’s Marina Dalglish Clinic featured in a Granada Reports programme following an excellent treatment response from a patient with prostate cancer.
Professor Kevin Mortimer was just 48 years old and about to celebrate his daughter’s 11th birthday when he was given the news that he had incurable stage 4 prostate cancer.
Professor Mortimer, a Respiratory Consultant at Aintree University Hospital received his diagnosis from his clinical colleagues and began treatment at Marina Dalglish Clinic, which is operated by The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. As he was young and in good health, Kevin was eligible for triple therapy – a combination of chemotherapy, anti androgen hormone therapy and an androgen pathway inhibitor drug darolutimide. Darolutimide works by helping to stop the hormone which might make cancerous cells grow. Triple therapy is a relatively recent advancement in treatment for prostate cancer, having only been approved in 2022.
Now, two years later, Kevin’s cancer is at an undetectable level. He has been dubbed a ‘super-responder’ meaning he has responded so well to treatment, no cancer can currently be detected in his body. A super responder is a patient with incurable disease who has a complete response or remission for more than one year after treatment, or someone who no tumour growth for at least three years
Dr Smriti Gaur is the Consultant Oncologist at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre responsible for Kevin’s treatment.
She said: “Kevin has had an incredibly positive response to his treatment which it really encouraging for me and the team at our Marina Dalglish clinic who treated him.
“Kevin was an excellent candidate for triple therapy as he was relatively young when he was diagnosed and was fit and active. This has definitely helped his outcomes and whilst his experience hasn’t been without its challenges, we have lots to be hopeful for.”
Kevin told his story to inspire and give hope to other men going through treatment.
He is now confident that with the right care, he will see many more of his daughter’s birthdays.
You can watch last night’s feature on the ITV news page and read his open letter to fellow prostate cancer patients. Click this link.
