Sponsored Editorial

Tommy from Merseyside was diagnosed with bladder cancer just before his 60th birthday. Now, thanks to a Cancer Research UK trial, he’s enjoying playing football with his grandson.

“It was March 2012 when I first noticed some blood in my pee,” said Tommy.

“I decided to go to the doctor the next day to get checked out. He did some tests and decided to send me to the hospital for a scan and a cystoscopy where they use a camera to look at your bladder. The tests showed that I had a tumour in my bladder.

“My treatment involved chemotherapy as well as surgery to remove the tumour. But the cancer had spread into the muscle tissue, so it was worse than they first thought.”

Tommy took part in the TUXEDO clinical trial funded by Cancer Research UK. The trial involved having chemotherapy every week, along with radiotherapy five days a week for seven weeks.

“I decided I’d do it in about 10 seconds,” added Tommy, who has a grandson also called Tommy.

“It was April 2013 when the doctor told me the good news that the treatment had been successful and that my cancer was gone. I was over the moon.

“I knew nothing about clinical trials before I joined one. Now I realise how important they are. They’re needed to test new treatments, new drugs, and new drug combinations. Without them we wouldn’t be able to make any progress; things would just stand still.

“I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to join a clinical trial. I truly believe it's what's allowed me to see my grandson Tommy grow up. He’s my little mate. We do everything together. But if it wasn’t for the research, I might not have gotten to see my grandson’

Gifts in Wills fund one-third of the work of Cancer Research UK - work that supports life-saving trials for people like Tommy.

By pledging a gift in your Will, you’ll help Cancer Research UK find new ways to outsmart cancer and bring about a world where everybody lives longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer.

Find out how you can leave a gift in your Will.

Cancer Research UK funded the TUXEDO clinical trial Tommy took part in. Learn more here.