Australian doctor who underwent world-first brain tumour treatment dies

Pioneering Australian doc Richard Scolyer has died, 3 years aft being diagnosed with an assertive encephalon tumour.

Scolyer, 59, made planetary headlines for his determination to acquisition a risky world-first experimental attraction for his glioblastoma astatine the hands of his person Professor Georgina Long - based connected the pair's ain technological breakthroughs successful tegument cancer.

Their enactment connected precocious melanoma - erstwhile a decease condemnation - has saved countless lives, and their encouraging findings successful treating Scolyer's encephalon tumour person triggered an aboriginal signifier objective proceedings successful the US.

"I wanted to support contributing, adjacent successful my darkest hour," Scolyer said successful an unfastened missive announcing his passing.

"I pen this missive arsenic a last goodbye to each those I person had the immense privilege of loving, sharing life's adventures with, moving alongside and gathering during what tin lone beryllium described arsenic a beingness filled with happiness, optimism, accidental and passion."

One of the country's astir respected aesculapian minds, Prof Scolyer became a nationalist treasure. In 2024, helium was named Australian of the Year alongside Long.

As co-directors of the Melanoma Institute Australia, implicit the past decennary the pair's probe connected immunotherapy, which uses the body's immune strategy to onslaught crab cells, has dramatically improved outcomes for precocious melanoma patients globally. Half are present fundamentally cured, up from little than 10%.

Scolyer besides pointed to the mentoring of up-and-coming pathologists arsenic a root of pridefulness successful his career.

"I person ever been driven by the content that we each person a work to effort to alteration the aboriginal for others and permission the satellite a amended place... I person lived that ethos to the fullest."

Glioblastomas, recovered successful the brain's connective tissue, are notoriously assertive and the wide protocol for treating them - contiguous excision past radiotherapy and chemotherapy - has changed small successful 2 decades. Most patients with Scolyer's signifier of tumour past little than a year.

"It didn't beryllium close with me… to conscionable judge definite decease without trying something," Prof Scolyer said.

"It's an incurable cancer? Well bugger that!"

Long was likewise determined. She spent the hours aft she was told of her friend's diagnosis grieving, past plotting.

In melanoma, her squad discovered that immunotherapy works amended erstwhile a operation of drugs is used, and erstwhile they are administered earlier immoderate country to region a tumour. And so, Prof Scolyer successful 2023 became the archetypal encephalon crab diligent to ever person combination, pre-surgery immunotherapy.

He was besides fixed a vaccine personalised to his tumour's characteristics, which boosts the cancer-detecting powers of the drugs.

Scolyer and Long knew the likelihood of a cure were "minuscule", but hoped the experimental attraction would prolong Prof Scolyer's life.

Subsequent scans appeared to amusement a affirmative immune effect successful the encephalon - and a a tiny objective proceedings is present trying to replicate those results.

"This was subject successful action!" esteemed melanoma surgeon John Thompson AO said successful a connection paying tribute to his friend.

Describing Scolyer arsenic a "cheery, down-to-earth, lad from Launceston" and a brilliant, internationally recognised scientist, helium said: "He volition beryllium remembered arsenic a genuinely large Australian."

Scolyer is survived by his wife, chap pathologist Katie Nicholl, and his 3 children.

In his letter, helium said helium was "perhaps lucky" that the carnal and cognitive impacts of his encephalon crab meant helium was improbable to person been afloat alert of his ain diminution implicit these last weeks.

"I constitute this knowing that my fantastic household would person been by my broadside each minute, arsenic they person been passim my crab journey… They are shining examples of the champion of humanity and marque maine highly proud."

Scolyer - who documented his attraction online - besides thanked Australians for the outpouring of love.

"You've laughed with me, cried with me, and provided encouragement and enactment to support going conscionable erstwhile I needed it most. I haven't sweetener coated my travel and I sincerely convey you for allowing maine the abstraction and accidental to stock it with you, warts and all."

He issued a telephone for scientists to support being brave and inquisitive, and for governments to money their innovations.

"We tin and should proceed to propulsion boundaries to propel the crab tract forward."