A Queensland man who was close to losing his eye from melanoma is grateful a trial drug saved him from the drastic measure.
The trial at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney is giving many other patients around the world hope after it saved the sight of a man with melanoma in the eye.
John Carroll developed a tumour so big it filled a quarter of the inside of his eye.
Queensland Ocular Oncology Service director Bill Glasson said there was no doubt he would have lost his eye due to the mass.
“It was so large we had no option but to take the eye out,” Glasson said.
John was offered trial tablets called Darovasertib to shrink the tumour as part of a Sydney-led study as a last resort.
It enabled him to have radiation last week, which saved his eye and protected his remaining vision.
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Carroll, who has previously beaten neck and head cancer, said he was very keen to go on the trial.
“I’m very pleased they have been able to save my eye,” he said.
The trial has expanded overseas after the study’s success.
”The primary tumour shrinkage we are observing from just a single month of therapy in the NADOM study is very promising,” professor Anthony Joshua from St Vincent’s Hospital said.
Experts are urging everyone to get their eyes checked.
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