Publish date: 30 January 2023
A mum from Merseyside has become one of the first patients in the world to be given a pioneering form of cancer therapy designed to help her own immune system fight the disease.
Beverley Joyce, from St Helens, was given the ground-breaking treatment in the MOAT clinical research trial at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and hopes the therapy, combined with surgery and radiotherapy, will kill off the tumours which have attacked her mouth and neck.
The news comes ahead of World Cancer Day on Saturday, February 5th, when organisations raise awareness of the disease and the treatments available to combat it.
MOAT involves giving the patient a modified virus with four additional genes, designed to multiply only in the cancer and activate a type of white blood cell, called T-cells. These help the immune system to destroy the cancer cells and kill other cells, called fibroblasts, which are thought to help cancers grow. Normal cells are not affected.
“When I was told about the trial, I thought it was amazing,” said Beverley. “They explained it all so simply. Why would you say no? I know it is a new treatment but is only helping my own immune system to have a better chance at fighting the cancer. It seemed very natural to me.”
To read the full story, see: https://www.clatterbridgecc.nhs.uk/news/clatterbridge-patient-given-pioneering-therapy