My name is Tommy Brennan and I am from Merseyside, England. I am 68 years old now. I live with my wife, Barbara, 2 sons, and a grandson.
In March 2012, I noticed some blood in my pee. The next day, I went to see my doctor. He did some tests including cystoscopy. I thought it is just a regular checkup and it might turn out to be just an infection or like that.
But I was wrong. The results showed a tumor in my bladder. I was terrified, but I had to go with the available treatments.
I had chemotherapy as well as surgery to remove the tumor. But it was worse than the doctors first though, cancer had spread deep into muscle tissues. My health was deteriorating day by day. All treatments had failed.
I Chose the Clinical Trial
Doctors suggested 2 options to me. One involved a very complicated surgical procedure to remove my bladder and reconstruct it from the bowel. It sounded scary. The second option was to join a UK-funded Cancer Research clinical trial.In my situation, both options had the same level of uncertainty. So I decided to go with the trial. It was called TUXEDO.
In the trial, I had chemotherapy every week, along with radiotherapy 5 days a week for 7 weeks. The doctors monitored me very closely.
I was told about all possible side-effects but didn’t experience any of them. I did put on some weight but that was nothing. I was well taken care of during the trial. All the hospital staff were really brilliant and reassuring.
Without the Trial, I wouldn't be with my Grandson
In April 2013, three months after the trial ended, the doctors told me the good news. Treatment was a success and my cancer was gone completely. Everyone was happy.Today, 7 years after, I am doing very well and living a cancer-free life. I have a checkup every 3 months and some blood tests once a year to monitor my health. I am looking forward to the future and having a great time with my family and grandson.
I am grateful for my clinical trial. I knew very little about clinical trials before I got into one. But now I know their importance. Being close to the research made me realize that they are needed to test new drugs, tests, and treatments. Without them, we would not be able to make significant medical progress.
I want people to know that joining a clinical trial can be a really positive thing overall. Clinical trials have the potential to help you and many more in the future.