While the fear of cancer looms large in the minds of many, the condition's vague indicators make it hard to know when genuine concern is warranted.
Zara McCormick, a project manager from Tameside, was met with a host of seemingly harmless symptoms before her Stage 3 bowel cancer diagnosis, none of which had obvious connections to the disease.
Now cancer-free, the 36-year-old mother has described her surprise at discovering that her exhaustion and breathing difficulties were not caused by pregnancy-related anaemia.
She received the news during the same week as her son Lewis's first birthday, sharing: "I didn't have any of the typical symptoms like blood in my poo, so the diagnosis came as a massive shock."
Zara has benefited from a revolutionary cancer treatment approach
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Fortunately, Zara's battle with cancer came to an end 18 months ago after undergoing a new cancer treatment that has demonstrated positive outcomes at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, where nearly six in ten participants have experienced complete cancer elimination through immunotherapy alone.
Zara was referred to The Christie for potential trial enrolment after medical tests at her local hospital revealed the MSI-H mutation.
Her medical team explained that conventional chemotherapy might prove ineffective against her cancer type, leading her to embrace the trial opportunity.
The NEOPRISM clinical study investigated pembrolizumab as an alternative to conventional chemotherapy for patients diagnosed with microsatellite instability bowel cancer, a specific genetic variant of the disease.
Initial findings revealed that approximately 60 per cent of participants exhibited no detectable cancer following pembrolizumab treatment, while the remaining patients achieved cancer-free status after surgical intervention.
This innovative approach could transform treatment protocols for several thousand British patients diagnosed with this particular bowel cancer variant annually.
"At first, I was quite hesitant about going on a trial, but my team at The Christie helped to put my mind at ease," she recalled.
McCormick started three pembrolizumab treatment cycles in June 2023, with subsequent imaging revealing substantial tumour reduction in both bowel and lymph nodes.
Following surgery in September to remove affected bowel tissue, pathology results confirmed complete treatment response, showing only scar tissue without active malignant cells.
The study continues recruiting participants, aiming for 78 enrollees across multiple UK centres.
Professor Mark Saunders, McCormick's consultant oncologist at The Christie, praised the exceptional patient responses to immunotherapy treatment.
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Experts say Pembrolizumab has the potential to change the lives of a few thousand people
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"Pembrolizumab is a very effective drug and has the potential to change the lives of a few thousand people diagnosed with this type of bowel cancer in the UK every year," he stated.
Zara now undergoes six-monthly monitoring scans and annual colonoscopies while maintaining her cancer-free status.
She actively participates in support networks for bowel cancer patients and advocates for clinical trial participation.
"I would encourage other people with cancer to be open-minded about taking part. New treatments wouldn't be possible without trials, so you're also helping make things better for other people in the future," she emphasised.