As someone who advocated passionately to raise funds for medical research, Len Hitchen –
founding Chair of the Fremantle Hospital Research Foundation which went on to become the Spinnaker Health Research Foundation and now The Hospital Research Foundation Group – never really considered that one day, things would turn full circle, and he would be benefiting from that early investment into leading-edge medical research.
As a sportsman and lover of Perth’s outdoors, Len was like many of his generation who never wore sunscreen and spent hours unprotected in the often-harsh WA climate.
“I was always outdoors when I could be and like most of my generation, didn’t have any idea of the damage that that might do in later life,” he said.
While Len has had a number of treatable melanomas over the years, the one that was discovered on his left elbow was more serious, had spread to his forearm and breastbone and was growing at a rapid rate.
Enter groundbreaking melanoma researcher and oncologist, Prof Khattak.
“Len came to see me in April this year and presented with a growing lump on his elbow that was diagnosed as an aggressive melanoma,” Prof Khattak said.
Len’s treatment consisted of immunotherapy infused monthly and combining two drugs together – a pioneering treatment for melanoma that was the subject of clinical trials at FSH only a few years earlier and approved for use just 12 months ago.
Now, almost six months into treatment, Prof Khattak holds up the scans which show the tumours retreating and responding well to treatment, and Len a picture of health at 90 apart from the odd ache and pain here and there.
As Prof Khattak explains, funding research and clinical trials is critical for improving the survival rates and longevity of people like Len, particularly in an area where the research is so dynamic.
Prof Khattak was integral in the internationally recognised Relativity – 047 melanoma trial and is currently exploring new avenues of treatment that will result in highly individualised cellular therapy derived from a patient’s tumour and transformed into billions of cells at a US-based laboratory.
He said the pace of change and development in melanoma research means that he is constantly evolving and updating his clinical practice as much as every six to 12 months.
“How I treat melanoma now compared with how I used to treat it even last year can be completely different, and this change will keep occurring with ongoing support for medical research which will benefit people like Len.
“He has seen first-hand the benefits of investment in medical research and clinical trials.
“I don’t think Len probably would have thought as a businessman helping raise funds for the hospital at that time in his life, that he would be in this position now where he was able to directly benefit from that,” he said.
“It’s encouraging for us and the patient that things are moving so rapidly and that all of this data has come via clinical research."
