Cambridge woman diagnosed with glioblastoma to take part in cancer super survivor study

A Cambridge woman living life to the full nearly five years after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour hopes to take part in a trial designed to explore why some cancer patients survive longer than others.

Katherine Webster was told she had months to live when she was diagnosed with a grade four glioblastoma in March 2020, aged 47. She underwent surgery, before radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, and is now in remission.

Only a quarter of patients survive more than one year with glioblastoma, which is a fast-growing, aggressive type of brain tumour. Only five per cent of patients survive more than five years.

Katherine suffers from some memory loss and has had physiotherapy to help with the rehabilitation of her right-hand side.

But she describes herself as doing “remarkably well.”

She said: “I’m not sure what the secret is as to why I am still here. I was told that I had months to live, not years. Almost five years on from receiving that cancer diagnosis, I try to make the most of life - I live every day as if it’s my last.”

Katherine used to row competitively and won medals at the British masters before her diagnosis, so was determined to get back on the water.

She now rows every week with the support of her family and friends at Chesterton Rowing Club.

“Rowing is a big passion, so the thought of returning to the river got me through radiotherapy and chemotherapy,” she said. “After receiving such a shocking prognosis, it is now such a joy for me being out on the river. I can’t believe I’m potentially one of these so-called cancer super-survivors.”

When Katherine marks five years since her diagnosis in March, she will be invited to take part in the international Rosalind study, which is exploring biological factors behind long-term cancer survival.

The UK phase is being co-ordinated by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with eight UK hospitals joining others around the world looking to identify the small percentage of cancer patients who beat the odds and survive years after being diagnosed.

The study is focusing on the three most aggressive and deadly cancers: advanced small-cell lung cancer, advanced pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma.

Dr Thankamma Ajithkumar, consultant clinical oncologist at Addenbrooke’s and chief investigator for the UK arm of the study, said: “Rather than focusing on why cancer patients do not survive, this study seeks to understand what it is that makes them live. By investigating the biology of this elite group of super-survivors, the study aims to discover insights that could potentially benefit and improve outcomes for all patients.”

Researchers hope to gather tumour samples from more than 1,000 consenting patients who are among the top three per cent for cancer survival.

Cure51, a French techbio company heading the study, will examine the samples in Paris, supported by Sofinnova, with the hope that novel therapeutic targets can be discovered on which to base new treatments.

Dr Ajithkumar said: “We don’t want to just hear stories like Katherine’s – we want to learn from them.”