Richard Scolyer knows he may not see out his term as Australian of the Year, an honour he is sharing with Georgina Long, who is leading the team that is trying to save his life.
The co-directors of the Sydney-based Melanoma Institute Australia were named joint 2024 Australians of the Year last night for saving thousands of lives with their revolutionary approach to treating advanced melanoma.
They are now developing an experimental treatment for Professor Scolyer's incurable brain cancer.
"We must be bold and courageous — that's how things change," Professor Long told ABC Radio Sydney on Friday morning.
Professor Scolyer said his chance of surviving was slim, but there was a chance nonetheless.
"I hope my life's extended, and I guess [there is] a small chance that I'll be cured from this supposedly incurable cancer," he said.
"In reality, the chances of that happening is small."
The 57-year-old was diagnosed with incurable grade 4 brain cancer in June last year while he was in Poland
Sticking with the standard treatment – unchanged for 20 years – was not an option.
"It's turned my life upside down," Professor Scolyer said.
"I'm obviously very upset for this to happen — it's difficult for my family, my friends, my colleagues.
"But you know, when it came down to it, this idea that that it was incurable just didn't sit right."
'Magic of the immune system'
Back in Australia, his friend and colleague Professor Long also had other ideas.
"I think my automatic reaction throughout my whole life has always been to start thinking outside the box, problem solve, you know — is there something else we can do here?" she said.
Professor Scolyer's surgery to remove the tumour was delayed by more than two weeks — an unheard of move when treating this type of cancer — to use drug therapy to activate and train his immune system to fight the cancer.
"That's the magic of the immune system — it can change and flex so that you can get these cures."
Eight months on, Professor Scolyer is upbeat — a scan earlier this week revealed he was cancer-free.
"I can't thank Georgina enough for her hard work and leadership and helping me go down this new path of treatment for brain cancer," he said.
"We're very proud of what we're doing to change the field."
They intend to publish their results soon, which they believe will lead to clinical trials of the experimental treatment.
'The most unsexy cancer'
Fifteen years ago, Professor Long, a medical oncologist, and Professor Scolyer, a surgical pathologist, began a clinical trial that would revolutionise the treatment for advanced melanoma.
Despite its frequency in Australia, melanoma was, at that time, an unusual choice of field to specialise in.
"When I did go into melanoma, there really was nothing — it was a desert," Professor Long said.
"It was the most unsexy cancer for medical oncologists to actually go into."
Loading...Fifteen years later, immunotherapy has increased the five-year survival rate for advanced melanoma, which describes the cancer's spread to five to 55 per cent of other parts of the body.
Professor Scolyer says their discoveries have also helped transform treatment for other types of cancer.
He thanked the team at Melanoma Institute Australia and the clinical trial participants.
"Australian patients are incredible in their generosity to participate in our research," Professor Scolyer said.
"They allow us to collect information about them, their biospecimens, and this gives us an opportunity to really make a difference."
'Stop glamorising tanning'
The pair – who enjoy sports and being outdoors – are determined to reduce the death rate of melanoma to zero per cent and will use their platform as Australians of the Year to try to change the country's tanning culture.
"We have to be sun safe," Professor Long said.
"We want to stop glamorising tanning — that's skin cells in trauma."
Professor Scolyer said the mark visible on his face this week had nothing to do with his treatment, but rather a cycling accident on Saturday.
"I ride many, many times each week, but I did something a bit silly and went over the handlebars," he said.
Professor Scolyer will be spreading the message of prevention alongside Professor Long for as long as possible.
"We love Australia — Georgina and I love the outdoors and this beautiful country we live in," Professor Scolyer said.
"We don't want Australians to stop enjoying it, but we've got to be smart about what we do to try and prevent melanoma and and other skin cancers."