Roger undergoes sci-fi treatment to save his life (From Hereford Times)

Roger undergoes sci-fi treatment to save his life

12:00pm Thursday 30th August 2007 in News By Bill Tanner

A LEOMINSTER man has put a price on his life in a DIY effort to pay for the "sci-fi" cure that could kill-off his one-in-a-million cancer.

Roger Hunt, three time Mayor of Leominster, says he may have sell his home to cover a six-figure loan for treatment at one of the best hospitals in the USA - treatment still at the research stage in the UK.

Here, Roger was told that devastating surgery was the best he could hope for.

So he took his hope to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, where one of the world's top cancer specialists offered something more - a cure.

Roger is now part of the way through his 40 sessions of proton radiotherapy - once the stuff of science fiction - that targets tumours with ion particle beams to destroy the very DNA of deadly cancer cells with pin-point accuracy, leaving little risk of damage to sensitive organs near the tumour site.

MGH is one of the few hospitals in the world to have its own proton therapy centre and a staff of specialists devoted to developing the treatment.

Such cutting edge proceedures cost - in Roger's case a six-figure sum he has had to borrow.

The terms of loan mean he can't confirm just how much, but it's enough to put everything he's worked for on the line, including the home he says he may have to sell.

"But how much is too much for your life and the way you and family want to live it? " said Roger, speaking to the Hereford Times from the apartment near MGH where and his wife Hilary have been staying.

Just a few months ago, Roger, aged 62, was ready to run for the Leominster South seat on Herefordshire Council afer a life in local politics.

The back pains that dogged him during a winning election campaign became so bad he went to a consultant who soon saw why the pills and physio prescribed after an X-ray weren't working.

Roger had a cancer called a chordoma at the base of his spine, so rare that figures from the USA put the chances of it occurring at one-in-a-million.

It was harrowing enough to hear what the treatment would be - organ removal and a life of certain disability - let alone enduring the wait for an operation date.

"Like me, my family didn't think that the treatment being offered was a treatment at all. I'm not a medical person, but I'm not sure what the survival rate would be - not very high I imagine," said Roger.

"I have three grown-up children and they all got going on the internet to see what could be done. Between us we contacted every centre offering the treatment, each offered different operations, MGH was the most advanced."

Armed with his records and a case history he painstakingly compiled himself, Roger secured a telephone consultation with MGH's renowned cancer specialist and research oncologist Dr Nobert Liebsch, who called back a week later with the OK for a treatment with an 80 per cent success rate - without the need to remove any organs - and every chance of a complete cure The proton sessions take 20 minutes as ions are beamed into Roger from four different angles exactly aligned to points tattooed on to his body.

The pain kicks in afterwards, a strong burning sensation inside and out.

Proton patients also need thorough check-ups after every five sessions to ensure they are well enough to continue, Roger has already been warned of possible complications because his tumour wasn't spotted early enough.

"But even if the worse happens the tumours are slow growing and I should still have several years of good quality life as the original tumour will have shrunk in size," said Roger.

And its hard being away from home. The couple are "counting the days" to return.

"Our friends and family have been great and without the support we've had I am not sure how we would have coped. I'm very lucky to have another chance and I hope that all this helps others get better treatment in future," said Roger.