Patients with rare cancers given hope by UK-led ‘drug-match’ trial

Tumours reduce with treatment licensed for more common cancers

Lisa Park was 48 when she was admitted to A&E in 2019 with worsening bouts of abdominal pain. Her eventual diagnosis was unexpected. She was told she was suffering from gallbladder cancer, a rare but serious condition that usually only affects people in old age.

Surgery and chemotherapy eradicated the tumours, but after a few months the cancer returned. I was given a year to live," said Park. It was a grim diagnosis, yet her prospects have recently taken an unexpected turn for the better.