A RESIDENT has celebrated his landmark birthday with a £6,500 donation to the cancer hospital where he is currently receiving treatment as part of a clinical trial.

John Evans visited a GP after feeling tired but what seemed like a routine doctor’s appointment soon escalated into John being diagnosed with a 22cm tumour on his right kidney.

The tumour had already spread to his liver and lungs by the time he was diagnosed.

John was introduced to The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre on the Wirral where he learnt the cancer was serious and life threatening.

However, John and his family were offered a lifeline.

Although John’s illness remains incurable, the team, led by Dr Richard Griffiths in the research and innovation team at the centre, were confident they could improve his health and prolong his life with the help of a clinical trial.

John began a trial in immunotherapy, a treatment designed to enhance the resistance of the immune system.

John said: “The process was relatively simple. Every two weeks, I’d go into the centre on a Monday for a blood test and on a Tuesday, I’d come along to receive the drug through a drip.

“I was done within a few hours and could carry on my day. I drove myself to the appointments and felt pretty well throughout the treatment.”

Immunotherapy drugs are already proving to be very effective in other types of cancer, such as skin cancers and lung cancer. They can have very minimal side effects compared to chemotherapy.

Having responded well, John is now receiving the treatment monthly with regular scans to monitor progress.

John said: “I simply wasn’t sure what to expect from the trial. But apart from a few minor bumps in the road, I’ve managed to carry on living my life.

“My wife Rebecca, 53, and I have been on holiday, we’re planning on moving house and I celebrated my 50th birthday in our favourite restaurant with 130 family and friends, including Dr Griffiths and the team from Clatterbridge.”

Instead of presents, John asked for donations and his party raised over £6,500 for The Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, the centre’s designated charity that supports the care of cancer patients from across Merseyside and Cheshire.

The family have also raised a further £1,700 for the charity with Rebecca, the couple’s daughter Grace,21, and John’s sister Rose taking part in a tri-athlon.

John added: “The team treat you like a normal person; a friend, rather than a patient. You’re treated with the utmost respect. I don’t think you’d find better care than at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.”