Police officer with lung cancer encourages others to take part in clinical trials on World Cancer Day (Sunday 4 February)
Published on 02/02/2024
A police officer diagnosed with lung cancer is encouraging others to take part in clinical research that could help advance the treatment of the disease.
Zed from Birmingham was just 42-years-old when he underwent surgery and chemotherapy for lung cancer in 2016. Unfortunately, a year later the cancer returned, and it was then, that he decided to volunteer in a clinical research trial at Heartlands Hospital.
Clinical trials can help clinicians establish the safety of a drug as well as how effective it is. Trials also help medical staff to understand how to treat a particular illness. People who take part in a clinical trial may benefit from the new treatment resulting in the therapy being approved and made available on the NHS to others with a similar condition.
Charlotte Ferris, a Senior Cancer Research Nurse at Heartlands Hospital said: “We would encourage local people with any form of cancer to ask their medical team if they could be considered for a clinical trial. Trials are closely monitored and regulated with patient safety being the focus of everything we do. For lung cancer patients like Zed, we offer a wide range of trials that encompass surgery, radiotherapy, and drug treatments.”
Zed said: “I would recommend volunteering to take part in a trial; from my first appointment with Charlotte and the team at Heartlands Hospital, I have had all my questions answered and I have felt in very safe hands. They believe that my cancer is the result of a genetic mutation because there is no history of lung cancer in my family and I don’t smoke. I feel very lucky to be part of a trial, I have been cancer free for eight years and I am looking forward to celebrating my 50th birthday this year.”
To find out more about taking part in a clinical trial talk to your local hospital team or contact the Heartlands Cancer Research Team on:
