Woman 'saved' by cancer trial rides for hospital

A woman, who said her life was saved by a new treatment for a rare cancer, has set herself the challenge of a long-distance cycle ride.

Julie Rose, 49, from Bridgwater, Somerset, was referred to The Royal Marsden Hospital after being diagnosed in 2020 with medullary thyroid cancer.

She was accepted onto a clinical trial, and within six months her tumours had shrunk by 60%.

She started the 186-mile ride in her home town on Friday and hopes to complete the challenge by arriving at the London hospital later.

Rose first started to notice symptoms while training for a half-marathon in March 2020.

"I started to get backache when I was running, but I'd had a hip replacement a few years previously and thought the pain was just wear and tear," she said.

Rose said her "world just stopped" when, a few months later, she found a lump in her neck and was told she had cancer.

"I have three children and a partner, and there were lots of tears – it was all very traumatic," she told BBC Somerset.

Rose joined the clinical trial after the cancer had spread to her adrenal glands and liver.

"There were only about nine or 10 places in the UK," she said.

"I thought I had nothing to lose. It was either an old drug that made me poorly, or this new one that I was reading about.

"So, I took the gamble and got the new drug - that was May 2021, and I'm still on that medication now."

Rose, who has twice taken part in the London to Paris Cycle, said she was inspired to create her own unique challenge, supported by medical staff who had cared for her.

"I have good news at every scan, and some of my tumours have completely disappeared, so I wanted to make this [ride] personal," she said.

"I feel really well with this drug, and my body doesn't actually feel poorly. And the work they do at The Royal Marsden is just so important to raise money for."

The hospital has led research into advanced thyroid cancers, including ongoing clinical trials into different aspects of the disease.

Antonia Dalmahoy, the hospital charity's managing director, said: "Julie's incredible fundraising effort will contribute towards vital work at The Royal Marsden aimed at diagnosing cancer earlier and developing better, more personalised treatments for patients across the UK and the world."

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