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A family member ignored the growing lump on the side of his face until it got too big (far too big) to ignore. He finally saw a doctor and then a skin specialist who was never going to be able to do anything with a lump that size, apart from referring him to one of our top cancer centres. Scans/tests showed evidence that cancer had spread to his lungs. The surgeon he saw there wanted to cut the tumour from his face, which would have led to disfigurement.

The oncologist he saw persuaded the surgeon to let him treat the patient with immunotherapy, in this case 'ipi' and 'nivo' (ipilimumab and nivolumab). Treatment was the two drugs on the same day, then every three weeks. By the time of the second treatment the tumour on the face had reduced in size quite noticeably.

The two-drug treatment lasted for a couple of months or so, reduced to one of the drugs after that. The lump on his face has totally gone and scans don't show cancer. Treatment started in early 2019 and was to last two years, which seemed to me to be far, far away in early 2019.

He looked very weak before treatment. I don't know what treatment would have followed the surgery option; chemo? However, without immunotherapy I think I would have been going to his funeral.

He is extremely lucky. Not all patients respond to the immunotherapy. He had side effects, but they could have been worse. Treatment under our public health system didn't cost him a cent, but it would not even have been available 10 years ago.