I'm just happy to be here at all

Friday 4 November, 2011
David Fry
Eight years ago, David Fry's life hung on the edge of a surgeon's scalpel.  

A tumour the size of a fist was growing on his liver and doctors told him that his chance of being alive five years later was just 11%.

The 56-year-old was shocked at the diagnosis of such a rare and aggressive cancer, especially since he had no symptoms.

"All I knew was that liver cancer was a serious condition and you can imagine the devastating blow this was to me, my family and friends," he says.

"It became clear pretty quickly just how many people are affected by a single cancer diagnosis. Fortunately, I was so stunned that there wasn't much room for fear at that time."

David's tumour was so large and so advanced that surgeons at the Austin Hospital Liver Clinic ruled him out of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

"For 24 hours, it looked as though there may be no treatment options whatsoever. I was devastated," David says. "But then the team decided that surgery was possible, and that it was my only choice."

After a marathon operation on Remembrance Day, 2003, surgeons removed the giant tumour, a delicate procedure that took 10 gruelling hours.

Since then, David has seen both his daughters graduate from university, built a dream home on Lake Victoria and travelled with his wife. They are times he could have easily missed.

"Had it not been for the medical treatment I received and the research on which all medical skill and knowledge depends, I may not have survived."

David's cancer is one of 15 less common cancers that Cancer Council Victoria is focusing on in its groundbreaking Forgotten Cancers Project.

The study aims to recruit 30,000 Australians who have been diagnosed with one or more of these cancers to analyse their DNA and determine genetic, lifestyle and environmental risk factors, and identify ways to reduce their impact.

The target cancers for this project include: non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukaemia, multiple myeloma, kidney, bladder, stomach, brain, liver, oesophagus, pancreas, uterus, thyroid, gallbladder, small intestine and bone cancer.

Cancer Council Victoria CEO Todd Harper says the study has the potential to revolutionise the cancer fight, but it needs long-term funding to sustain it.

He says that one of the best ways to help is by leaving a bequest to Cancer Council Victoria, as it gives us the confidence to plan for the future.

"Leaving a bequest is one of those decisions where people have a real opportunity to make a lasting impact on their community," Mr Harper says. "People today are sharing in the benefits of the generosity of people who are no longer with us. It's a selfless and generous investment, and it's one of the greatest contributions someone can make that honours a vision for a cancer-free future."

for
If you'd like more information on leaving a bequest, call Glenis Capps on 03 9635 5604 for a confidential discussion.

 

Or, if you'd like to take part in the Forgotten Cancers Project or make a donation, visit the website or call
1300 65 65 85.