Marc Woods, Christie patient

A former Paralympian and dad-of-2 is now free of throat cancer after receiving cutting-edge radiotherapy at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, as part of a pioneering clinical trial.

Marc Woods, who is 54 and lives near Nottingham, has had a life that has been shaped by cancer. He was diagnosed with bone cancer as a teenager and had to have his left leg amputated as part of his treatment. He went on to become a multiple medal-winning Paralympic swimmer and is now a speaker/coach.

It was while rehearsing a speech for a client that Marc felt like he had something stuck in his throat. He went to get it checked out and was told it was throat cancer.

“Although I knew something was wrong, being diagnosed with cancer for a second time still came as a surprise,” comments Marc. “I had all sorts of questions going through my head, it was a really difficult time for my family.”

His team in Nottingham referred him to The Christie where he was treated with proton beam therapy as part of the TORPEdO clinical trial. TORPEdO is co-led by The Christie and The Institute of Cancer Research, London. It’s funded by Cancer Research UK and the NHS, with support from The Taylor Family Foundation. Proton beam therapy is administered at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester and at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The trial will determine whether the use of proton beam therapy reduces long-term side effects and improves the quality of life for patients treated with radiotherapy for throat cancer. The trial has now completed recruitment of the full cohort of 201 patients, 3 months ahead of target. *

Proton beam therapy is a newer form of radiotherapy. It targets the tumour using high-energy protons which are shaped into a beam. Unlike standard radiotherapy, the beam doesn’t release a large amount of energy until it gets to the tumour. This results in less radiation dose to surrounding normal tissues, with potentially less damage to the healthy tissues as well. 

Proton beam therapy is only suitable for the routine treatment of a small number of people with certain cancer types, such as in cases where the tumour is close to critical structures like the brain or spinal cord.

Marc had 33 daily sessions of the treatment at The Christie. He stayed in Manchester during his treatment, returning home for only two days – his son’s birthday and Christmas Day. He finished his treatment in January of this year and is now showing no evidence of disease.

“I was so lucky to be able to have such a new form of treatment for my second cancer experience – things have moved on so much since I got diagnosed with my first cancer back in 1986.

Professor David Thomson, clinical oncology consultant at The Christie and Chief Investigator of the TORPEdO trial, comments: “We’re one of only 2 sites delivering proton beam therapy for this cancer as part of the trial, so the fact that we’ve managed to reach accrual ahead of target is a fantastic achievement. I’d like to thank all the patients who have participated so far, including Marc, as well as all the brilliant staff who have been involved in setting up and delivering the trial at the 20 participating hospitals.

“The trial aims to reduce long-term side effects and give patients with the same sort of cancer as Marc the best quality of life that we can.”

Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “Trials like this one are giving more people the opportunity to receive tomorrow’s treatments today. Radiotherapy is a really important tool in the fight against cancer and we’ve been at the forefront of that research for decades. Proton beam therapy has huge potential to become a kinder treatment for certain cancers, and we’re so proud to be funding work that will help many more patients like Marc.”

The TORPEdO trial is now closed to new patients.

Any patients interested in taking part in clinical trials should discuss this option with their consultant or GP. Not all patients will fit the criteria for a specific trial. While clinical trials can be successful for some patients, outcomes can vary from case to case. You can read more information about taking part in clinical trials on the research section of our website.

* The trial is sponsored by The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), London and centrally co-ordinated by the Cancer Research UK-funded Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit at the ICR. It focuses on throat cancers at the back of the mouth – including tonsil and base of the tongue cancer.