Nick’s Story

After his diagnosis, Nick was presented with a critical choice. Standard treatment for AML often involves intensive chemotherapy or a stem cell transplant. However, with no suitable donor available for a transplant, his options were limited. That’s when he was introduced to the VICTOR trial, a groundbreaking clinical trial available at TAP Centres across the UK, comparing a combination of two targeted drugs to traditional chemotherapy. This trial, specifically designed for AML patients aged 60 and over, offered a less toxic and more manageable treatment option.

Thanks to the support of Cure Leukaemia-funded research nurses, Nick was able to enroll in the trial – giving him access to cutting-edge treatment that he could manage largely from the comfort of his own home. His regimen included daily chemotherapy injections and Venetoclax tablets, significantly reducing the intensity of hospital stays and side effects.

Nick’s journey has not been without challenges. In 2021, he was hospitalised for over a week due to COVID-19. Shortly after returning home, he was readmitted with sepsis, a life-threatening infection that left him temporarily paralysed. Initially told he could be in the hospital for three months, his determination saw him discharged in just three weeks – learning to walk again in record time.

Throughout his AML treatment, Nick has continued to show incredible strength. Every nine weeks, he undergoes a bone marrow biopsy, an uncomfortable but necessary part of his treatment. But for him, it’s simply “What I have to do.”