Mavis Nye and her husband Ray
The newly published paper, co-authored by Dr Anna Minchom, consultant medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden, featured Mavis because of her exceptional response to an immunotherapy treatment trial which began in 2014. The research was reported in this quarter's Mesothelioma UK's magazine.
Dr Minchom said that not everyone responds to immunotherapy as well as Mavis, so it's important to understand why certain patients respond so well. She said there was increasing interest in the use of immunotherapy for people suffering from mesothelioma.
Mavis, a long-time friend of the Fieldfisher mesothelioma team, has lived with mesothelioma for more than 10 years, having been exposed to asbestos through washing her husband's work clothes. Mavis continues to campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of asbestos and to offer support to fellow sufferers and their families.
She confirmed her treatment, which was on hold during the covid19 pandemic, has resumed at the Royal Marsden.
Andrew said that in many circumstances, the costs of current and future immunotherapy treatment, which is not yet available on the NHS, can be included in a claim against former employers for people negligently exposed to asbestos dust at work.