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JEFF COOK, 76, WAS DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE FOUR CANCER IN 2019 AND WAS TOLD THAT HE NEEDED RADIOTHERAPY TO TARGET THE TUMOUR DIRECTLY BUT COULD ALSO TRY A NEW TREATMENT CALLED PEMBROLIZUMAB
10:27, 31 May 2025 A grandad who was grappling with advanced lung cancer, a condition that often sees patients pass away within four months, has astonishingly beaten the disease after
undergoing treatment with a pioneering immunotherapy drug. Jeff Cook, 76, faced a grim prognosis when he was diagnosed with stage four cancer in 2019, having noticed a persistent sore on his
left chest. Cancer Research UK statistics paint a bleak picture, revealing that about half of those diagnosed with stage four cancer succumb to the illness within four months, and a mere 5%
survive beyond five years. Jeff was advised to undergo radiotherapy to directly combat the tumour but was also offered the chance to try pembrolizumab, an innovative treatment option. READ
MORE: Birmingham parents warned over £100 fines and even court as they 'endanger lives' outside schools Pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy, works by inhibiting a protein known as PD-1
on T cells, thereby boosting the immune system's ability to detect and destroy cancer cells. Article continues below Initially considered too costly by the NHS at approximately £84,000
per patient, the price of pembrolizumab was eventually lowered following negotiations with the drug's manufacturer. After about two years of treatment, Jeff received the incredible
news that he is officially free from cancer, allowing him to "live life to the full." The jubilant grandad-of-two shared: "Considering I had such an advanced cancer, and the
survival statistics were not in my favour, I feel like the pembrolizumab has been a medical miracle. "I'm able to live life to the full as a result." Jeff, father to Gavin and
Martin, successfully quit smoking over two decades ago. By the close of 2018, he discovered a persistent sore on his chest's left side, which antibiotics failed to heal. A specialist
at Leighton Hospital in Crewe, Cheshire, ultimately confirmed that he had stage four cancer. Dr David Woolf offered Jeff a chance to undertake pembrolizumab therapy, then a relatively new
approach. Jeff from Warrington, Cheshire, shared: "The staff were very welcoming. "The receptionist always gave me a cheery welcome, and before the COVID-19 pandemic, we even got
tea and biscuits from one of the volunteers. "The nurses always treated me well, too. "The pembrolizumab was kind to my body, and I had no noticeable side effects from the
treatment. "After three or four treatments, I was leading a normal life again. "For two years, I was under pembrolizumab, undergoing frequent blood tests, review appointments, and
CT scans. "During the pandemic, my review appointments turned into telephone consultations." Now in better health, Jeff enjoys holidaying with Carol, his wife of over five decades,
and participates in fortnightly quizzes at a nearby cricket club. He expressed: "I'm incredibly grateful to Dr Woolf and all the NHS staff who have helped me during my treatment
and to the scientists and researchers who helped to develop such a wonderful life-saving drug." Dr Woolf expressed his pleasure, stating: "I am delighted that Jeff has had such a
positive response to his treatment and is now cancer-free six years after his diagnosis of stage four lung cancer and living life to the full." Article continues below He cautioned,
"Stage four lung cancer remains very serious with average survival figures of less than a year." He also noted the impact of recent medical advancements, saying, "However new
treatments such as immunotherapy are a game changer for some of our patients." Dr Woolf emphasised the need for progress, adding, "We still need to do better at diagnosing patients
earlier though and continuing to develop new and better treatments."