Latest news with #PaulMulholland
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Man's Deadly Brain Tumor Vanishes After Taking Breakthrough Drug: ‘Lucky Break in a Devastating Situation'
A man with one of the deadliest forms of brain cancer is now hopeful for the future after his tumor completely disappeared thanks to a breakthrough drug. In October 2022, Ben Trotman was 40 years old when he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a rare form of terminal cancer that kills more than 10,000 Americans a year, according to the National Brain Tumor Society. Glioblastoma, also known as GBM, has no known cure. Standard treatment involves surgery to remove the tumor (if possible), followed by radiation and chemotherapy. The disease is considered a highly invasive tumor in the central nervous system because its cells reproduce extremely quickly. Those who are diagnosed with the malignant tumor have a median survival rate of about 14 to 14.5 months. Following his diagnosis, Trotman was referred by a friend to The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery at University College London Hospitals (UCLH). There, Dr. Paul Mulholland, a consultant medical oncologist, recruited Trotman to be the first patient in his clinical trial. The trial involved him receiving the immunotherapy drug ipilimumab to treat his glioblastoma before undergoing any standard treatment. Afterward, Trotman began radiation and chemotherapy. 'The crucial element of this trial is that patients will have their immune system boosted by the drug before they have any other treatment, when they are fit and well enough to tolerate the immunotherapy,' Mulholland said in a press release. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! Two years and eight months after being the sole participant in the clinical trial, Trotman, now 43, is tumor-free, and his scans have come back clear. 'It is very unusual to have a clear scan with glioblastoma, especially when he didn't have the follow-up surgery that had been planned to remove all of the tumour that was initially visible on scans,' Mulholland explained. 'We hope that the immunotherapy and follow-up treatment Ben has had will hold his tumour at bay, and it has so far, which we are delighted to see.' Mulholland added that his goal is to find a cure for the 'devastating disease' that is glioblastoma, and he's hoping to move forward with additional patients. Trotman is now married to wife Emily, and the couple welcomed daughter Mabel in April. The couple told the hospital that the clinical trial gave Trotman his life back. 'Getting this diagnosis was the most traumatic experience,' Emily said. 'We were grappling with the fact that Ben had gone from being apparently perfectly healthy to having months to live. Had we not met Dr. Mulholland, that would have been it for us. We felt we had a lucky break in an otherwise devastating situation.' 'We obviously don't know what the future holds, but having had the immunotherapy treatment and getting these encouraging scan results has given Emily and I a bit of hope,' Trotman added. 'We are focused on rebuilding the life we thought we had lost and enjoying being parents.' The new father said he's hoping that his brain cancer journey will give others hope and inspire more patients to participate in the next clinical trial. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! Dame Siobhain McDonagh — member of parliament of the UK who lost her sister from glioblastoma in 2023 — led a fundraising campaign and raised more than €1 million to cover the costs of the next trial. 'My beloved sister Margaret was appalled to discover that there had been no advances in brain cancer treatment for decades when she was diagnosed with glioblastoma,' McDonagh said. 'Changing this was Margaret's final campaign and one that I have continued in her memory. I am so grateful to the many people who knew and respected Margaret who have come together and helped to raise funds and campaign for this new trial that we are calling Margaret's Trial.' Mullholland recalled meeting Margaret. 'When I met Margaret, she said to me, 'What can I do to support you to cure this disease?'" 'I am incredibly grateful to her and to Siobhain, whose campaigning and fundraising in her sister's memory has led to this new clinical trial opening for patients with this most aggressive form of brain cancer that has such a poor prognosis.' Read the original article on People
The Independent
21-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Groundbreaking cancer trial to recruit patients within the NHS
A new immunotherapy drug trial for glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer, is now recruiting patients in the NHS. The trial follows a previous study where patient Ben Trotman's tumour vanished, and he has shown no signs of the disease for over two years, a rare outcome for glioblastoma. The NHS study will enrol 16 patients over 18 months, who will receive the immunotherapy drug ipilimumab before standard treatment. The trial was established in memory of Baroness Margaret McDonagh, who died from the disease, and was funded by over £1 million raised by her sister, Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP. Led by Consultant Medical Oncologist Dr Paul Mulholland, the trial aims to build on previous findings and offers significant hope for patients with this aggressive cancer. Dad's aggressive brain cancer vanishes after taking new drug
The Independent
21-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Patients sought for new NHS trial for brain cancer after man sees tumour vanish
A new immunotherapy trial to treat the deadliest form of brain cancer is seeking patients after one man had remarkable results that saw his tumour vanish. The NHS study will recruit 16 people over an 18-month period and has been set up in memory of Baroness Margaret McDonagh, who died of the disease. People diagnosed with deadly glioblastoma will receive immunotherapy with the drug ipilimumab before undergoing standard treatment, when their immune system is at its strongest. The trial, from University College London Hospital's National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, follows a previous one on the same drug which closed because of lack of recruitment. One patient from that trial, Ben Trotman, is still showing no signs of glioblastoma following the treatment – well over two years since he got the drug in a world first. Most people with glioblastoma die within 12-18 months. Mr Trotman was diagnosed with glioblastoma in October 2022, when he was 40. Now aged 43 and two years and eight months on from having the treatment, his scans are clear and there are no signs of tumour. Consultant medical oncologist, Dr Paul Mulholland, who is leading the new trial and treated Mr Trotman, said: 'It is very unusual to have a clear scan with glioblastoma, especially when he didn't have the follow-up surgery that had been planned to remove all of the tumour that was initially visible on scans. 'We hope that the immunotherapy and follow-up treatment Ben has had will hold his tumour at bay – and it has so far, which we are delighted to see.' Mr Trotman got married to Emily two months after the immunotherapy treatment and in April, his daughter Mabel was born. Mrs Trotman said: 'Getting this diagnosis was the most traumatic experience. We were grappling with the fact that Ben had gone from being apparently perfectly healthy to having months to live. 'Had we not met Dr Mulholland, that would have been it for us. We felt we had a lucky break in an otherwise devastating situation.' Mr Trotman went on to have the current standard treatment of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. He has quarterly scans, which continue to be clear. Mr Trotman said: 'We obviously don't know what the future holds but having had the immunotherapy treatment and getting these encouraging scan results has given Emily and I a bit of hope. 'We are focused on rebuilding the life we thought we had lost and enjoying being parents.' Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP led a fundraising campaign to raise more than £1 million to cover the costs of the new trial. Her sister, Baroness McDonagh, died from glioblastoma in 2023. Dame Siobhain said: 'My beloved sister Margaret was appalled to discover that there had been no advances in brain cancer treatment for decades when she was diagnosed with glioblastoma. 'Changing this was Margaret's final campaign and one that I have continued in her memory. 'I am so grateful to the many people who knew and respected Margaret who have come together and helped to raise funds and campaign for this new trial that we are calling Margaret's Trial.' Dr Paul Mulholland said: 'When I met Margaret she said to me 'what can I do to support you to cure this disease?'. 'I am incredibly grateful to her and to Siobhain whose campaigning and fundraising in her sister's memory has led to this new clinical trial opening for patients with this most aggressive form of brain cancer that has such a poor prognosis, with most patients surviving just nine months after diagnosis. 'The crucial element of this trial is that patients will have their immune system boosted by the drug before they have any other treatment, when they are fit and well enough to tolerate the immunotherapy. 'We're taking everything we have learned from previous trials into this new study and we are already planning follow-on trials. 'My aim is to find a cure for glioblastoma.' The National Brain Appeal is currently funding two posts in support of Dr Mulholland's research. Treatment will take place at the NIHR UCLH's Clinical Research Facility and at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. Patients
