Professor Richard Scolyer, a former Australian of the Year and leading pathologist, has provided a health update regarding his ongoing struggle with brain cancer. At the age of 58, Scolyer was diagnosed in 2023 with an aggressive form of glioblastoma and was initially given a dire prognosis of just eight months to live.
With support from Georgina Long, co-director of the Melanoma Institute, Scolyer turned to an experimental immunotherapy treatment that remarkably helped to manage the cancer for two years. However, earlier this year, Scolyer faced a setback when scans in February revealed that the tumour had returned. Following this development, he underwent surgery in March to remove the majority of the tumour.
In a recent Instagram update, Scolyer expressed concerns about the results of his latest scans, stating he felt “a bit worried.” He shared that he has been exploring various therapies to eliminate the remaining cancer cells. “The problem with it is…there are little tentacles that go off at the periphery, so we’ve got to find a type of therapy that can mop up and cure those leftover wretched tumour cells that are there,” he explained.
During his video message, Scolyer revealed that his emotional state has been fluctuating, describing his journey as “tough at times, but other times I’m super happy.” He remains hopeful about the upcoming operation and the potential to advance his treatment plan. “Fingers crossed this operation won’t be too bad, and we can move forward with the next form of therapy,” he said, emphasising his commitment to improving outcomes for other glioblastoma patients.
Notably, Scolyer and Long were jointly awarded the Australian of the Year title in 2024 for their significant contributions to brain cancer research. Their pioneering work aims to bring new hope to patients facing similar challenges.