‘I was getting ready to say goodbye’: cancer patient’s hope after smart drug success

One of the first patients to benefit from a pioneering smart drug that appears to melt away the “invisibility cloak” that can shield cancer cells from treatment is Pat Brogan, from Cowdenbeath, Scotland.

The 68-year-old, whose tumours have shrunk by almost a third, is preparing to walk his daughter down the aisle this month and holiday in Spain with his wife, Linda – milestones he once feared he would never reach.

Brogan joined the trial in 2025 after he was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in 2021. He sought medical advice after losing his voice and hospital scans revealed tumours affecting his vocal chords.

“When I was first diagnosed nearly five years ago, I was getting ready to say my goodbyes. To be here, and to be living a relatively normal life, is a miracle. My mum, sister and dad had all died from cancer, so I thought that the run of awful luck might have ended with me,” he said.

“It was quite a shock when I was diagnosed. I had been singing and dancing at a music festival shortly before my diagnosis and felt fine. I almost couldn’t believe that I could be that seriously ill.”

Brogan, who worked for Scottish Water for 35 years, underwent chemotherapy and immunotherapy for about three years before his tumours began growing again. He was offered more intensive chemotherapy, which might not have worked, or the opportunity to join the trial.

The treatment involves a smart drug, GRWD5769, which prevents cancer cells hiding from the immune system, allowing immunotherapy to find and kill disease cells. The results were presented at the world’s largest oncology conference in Chicago.

Describing the treatment as having “given me my life back”, Brogan said he now enjoyed “a good quality of life”, including daily walks with his dog, Seamus.

“We spent a lot of time in Spain before my diagnosis, and now we’re planning to go back for a holiday. My daughter is getting married in June and I’ll be able to walk her down the aisle – something I never thought I’d be able to do,” he said.

“I have a good life. I get up every morning and look forward to the extra time I have to spend with Linda and the rest of my family, including my two grandchildren, who are just starting their adult lives.”

He added: “I’m so grateful to Prof Stefan Symeonides and his team in Edinburgh, and to all the other patients who have taken part in cancer research before me. I wouldn’t have the life I have now without them.