After taking part in a clinical trial at The Royal Marsden, blood cancer patient Thomas is in remission and valuing every moment with his young family.
In the summer of 2018, Thomas was 26 and enjoying being a dad for the first time.
Then he received the news that he had non-Hodgkin lymphoma – a type of blood cancer. Thomas didn’t know if he’d be there to see his one-year-old daughter, Olivia, grow up.
Watch Thomas tell his story
When Thomas first began feeling unwell, he thought it was simply due to the stress of having a newborn. “I started to feel a lot of different symptoms like fatigue that I just put down to the day-to-day stresses of having a new child and not getting any sleep,” says Thomas. “I also had night sweats which should have been a big giveaway, but it was a really hot summer, so I thought it was just because of that.”
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis
“I did go to the GP three or four times,” says Thomas. “But it's quite rare for someone in their 20s to be having these side effects, and it wasn't until July that I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.”
By the time Thomas was diagnosed, he had “a tumour the size of a rugby ball”. He feared he might not get to see his daughter Olivia – who was just one year old at the time – grow up.
Although chemotherapy at his local hospital helped to shrink his cancer, some tumour cells remained and he was told they would begin to grow again if nothing more was done.
Thankfully, Thomas was referred to The Royal Marsden where his clinical team explained his options, including a trial of CAR-T cell therapy.
What is CAR-T therapy?
CAR-T therapy is a type of pioneering immunotherapy which harnesses the patient’s own immune system to fight cancer. The process of CAR-T therapy involves:
- Taking a patient's T cells
- Expanding and activating them in a lab
- Reinfusing them back into the patient – the cells are then better able to recognise and attack cancer cells
CAR-T therapy can give patients another option if their cancer has become resistant to traditional treatments, such as chemotherapy. This type of research at The Royal Marsden is supported by funding from The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
The CAR-T clinical trial at The Royal Marsden
“It was quite daunting because there were very real risks,” says Thomas of the CAR-T clinical trial. “But the team talked me through the whole process and explained how it would give me a really good chance of remission.
“It was a mixture between the unknown and a fantastic potential, because compared to the other standard treatments available at the time, the trial offered a lot more in terms of the hope. I knew from the confidence of the doctors and the information that they gave me that that was something that I absolutely wanted to do.”
“From the moment I came into the building at The Royal Marsden I was made to feel very welcome. They made my whole family feel very at ease too, which allowed them to really support me through the process.”
“Everyone was super professional and they clearly cared about what they were doing. They've always gone over and above in making me feel looked after.”
Thanks to the trial, Thomas is fit and well and making the most of every moment with his family.
Precious time with family
“Thankfully, I’m now in remission. CAR-T treatment has given me the opportunity to live my life to the fullest. Since my treatment with The Royal Marsden, my wife and I have gone on to build our family.”
Six years on, Thomas never forgets that without the hospital, he might not have been here to see his oldest daughter, Olivia as she grows.
“Sharing moments with her is something I don’t take for granted. To see her reach milestones, is beautiful to watch. I've also welcomed twin boys and another daughter into our family.”
The success of the CAR-T clinical trial means blood cancer patients everywhere now have more treatment options and a better chance of survival, just like Thomas.
“The Royal Marsden has been pivotal in building my family and giving me a new lease of life,” says Thomas.
“I feel incredibly lucky and also proud to have been part of a research trial that has not only changed my life, but other people’s."
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