Family, friends, colleagues and MIA provide support and strength to Prof Richard Scolyer as he undergoes treatment for a glioblastoma (brain cancer).
Sadly, we need to share some unfortunate news regarding the health of our much-loved and respected Co-Medical Director Professor Richard Scolyer AO.
Richard is facing a major health issue, having recently taken ill while travelling for work in Poland. Tests have revealed he has a glioblastoma (brain cancer).
With the love and support of his family, friends and colleagues, Richard is being cared for by an experienced medical team. Richard is very appreciative of this support, which he says is giving him much needed strength. He will now undergo a combination of surgery and therapies.
The pic above is taken at The Poche Centre in early June with Richard surrounded by CEO Matthew Browne, Professor Angela Hong, Professor Georgina Long AO and Assoc Professor Jonathan Stretch AM.
Please join us in wishing Richard the very best, and we will keep him in our thoughts as he concentrates on his treatment and recovery. MIA will continue to support him in every way possible and looks forward to him returning to work soon.
I will be there every step of this journey with all the life force I can bring, along with friends, family, colleagues and Melanoma Institute Australia. Thanks to our national and international colleagues bringing their best ideas to this #glioma problem. – Professor Georgina Long AO
Sharing his story on A Current Affair
Prof Richard Scolyer AO openly and selflessly shared the his #glioblastoma (brain cancer) journey with Ally Langdon on A Current Affair – including applying some of the lessons learnt in melanoma to brain cancer treatment.
Watch the full segment below:
Dear Richard, we are so very sad to learn about these dreadful news. We wish you all the best – colleagues and friends from Denmark/ The Danish Melanoma Group
Very sorry to hear of Richard’s illness. He is in my prayers. Richard was so kind to his mother-in-law Margaret Nicoll.
Sincerely Margaret Silva
Asmita and I are thinking of you Richard and of course Katie and the entire family. Richard helped me through my time of uncertainty when dealing with a diagnosis and was a true friend and constant source of strength and we would like to return the favor. Take care of yourself and we will be right behind you!
So very sorry to learn of this news. With heartfelt sincere good wishes for a successful outcome. Will be following your progress with great interest. Kindest regards
Dear Richard, I am so sorry to hear your news. You were so helpful to Professor Tattersall and Prof John Thompson in resolving my melanoma and sarcoma pathologies. Now I and my family are all here to support in your own journey. We wish it was otherwise for you; we send you and your family our love, prayers, hope and best wishes for a good outcome in your medical trials. Take great care of yourself.
Best wishes Richard you are such a brave doctor. God bless you as you go through this cancer journey and hoping the end result is favourable for you and your beautiful family.
Richard, thank you for your note and commitment of insights. In having gone through the same process myself: surgery 10 weeks ago – seizure, surgery, diagnose 5 days later – after surgery with analysis as GBM and now 6 weeks of radio and chemo. I wish I had the knowledge you bring to what you are going through – I am a lawyer with a very low medical insight.
If you are able to I will read with interest in what more you can share. Kind regards to you and your family, Peter
Richard I watched Current affair last night.
Wish you our utmost health and energy,
Keep you in my daily prayers and taught.
Wish you the best and great support to your family.
God Bless
The incredible work from Prof Scolyer and Prof Long saved my wife’s life, who’s story has been shared here as well.
I was so saddened to read that you are now battling this on a very personal level.
If anyone has a chance, it’s you and the amazing team Richard.
So sorry to hear this news Richard, thank you for sharing your journey. Thinking of you and your family and sending best wishes.
I lost my dad to Glioblastoma just under 6 months ago. He had this for 8 months. Prior to this he was perfectly normal and heathy in every way and I feel robbed for him and for us that there was no hope and no help to keep him alive or cure him. I am so so sorry this has happened to you, but I thank you so much for trying to do something with all your research and knowledge to help fight this. Wishing you all the luck in the world and thank you.
Dear richard .You guys are a incredible family sharing your journey .We are sending you all the strength and love on fighting this battle.Try to keep strong and positive.
Dear Richard , you are simply extraordinary all the dedication you have given to others , it is so ironic that you are in this terrible situation . My wife and I feel for you and hope you will respond to treatment . As a dr who loves nothing more than finding and treating melanomas I can only admire all the leadership and brilliance you have given our community . The grace and bravery that you have shown with this is in the great tradition of physicians of old is so admired . I had a dear fried die of the same some years ago , still much missed .You have already accomplished and given so much it’s extraordinary. You are brave .and we watch from afar in hope for you and your family .
Dr John Prossor
In my early forties ( I am now 78) I took myself to a dermatologist because I had a small slightly unusual mole on my back. Thats nothing he said but my feeling was strong so I requested removal and testing. It was a level four melanoma. I had very young children then so the whole thing ( back operation etc.) was very stressful.
Recently I had to have a pet scan for other reasons and that doc. found a melanoma in my lung!! That led to an operation and immunotherapy . I still find it shocking that melanoma reoccurred in this way after 35 years. I am now in love with the docter! Please follow your own feelings in regard to your health and be politely assertive even if you feel foolish.
Dear Richard. Why is it the amazing people who get dealt such a raw deal. My brother was a healthy young 29yr old kind, religious wonderful human always helping the underdog. He was diagnosed with grade 4 glioblastoma and like you, wanted to share his battle with medicos to try and help find a cure. I hope you can make this miracle treatment work for you and all future diagnosis. It’s my brothers birthday today so it’s a strange coincidence that I just happen to watch your story so let’s hope this is a good omen for a world breakthrough and and long amazing life ahead for you and sharing with your family.
Richard, thank you for your service to medicine & now your ongoing research into this unforgiving GBM ! My husband healthy fit at 74 – no symptoms/ except a few confounding games of golf and then in just one week no feeling in the palm of his right hand, long story short- GP advised go to hospital/ finally after tests all day – the MRI showed tumour on left frontal. Following surgery we were advised by neurosurgeon “sorry ….,,, this tumour will shorten your life”! So our life changed in just
one week. 4 months later – 2nd surgery- not to cure , only to extend his life! ……. Outlived average GBM patient- passed away 14 months after initial diagnosis. ……. He then donated his brain for GBM research. As we had “a long goodbye “ we had the benefit of time to talk and organise our lives going forward & the impetus to donate , came about , because of the toddlers, youngsters and
teenagers he met during his treatment. He hoped that a cure could be found to save little children, as he had a full and active life, whereas these children had not experienced many years of life.
Richard, thank you and best wishes
I am very puzzled and curious as my husband was the eldest son of a mother whose parents were immigrants from Scotland. Sadly his cousin, aged 64, again the eldest son of an elder sister, ( my husband’s aunt- maternal) also died of a GBM. I often wonder about the incidence of patients with direct Scottish heritage as my mother in law’s parents migrated from Scotland in the early 1900’s.
.
Dear Prof. Scolyer,
I have learnt so much from you in various courses and have always admired your generous teaching spirit and vast knowledge. Your spirit shines through now in your personal battle, which you are sharing with us. I wish you health and strength,
With much respect and prayers,
Meora Feinmesser
Dermatopathologist in Israel
You truely are a hero who deserves to wear a cape.
Bless you .
Prof Scolyer
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
We lost a 43yr old son to a grade 4 Glioblastoma 15 months ago.
His tumour was donated to research. He left a wife and 3 young children as well as his sisters and families.
Hoping your journey can have the best outcome.
Hi Richard, I lost my very active Dad at 67 with a G.B.M . He had surgery followed by 5 weeks radiotherapy, back in 2000 the temozolomide wasn’t given until his tumour became recurrent.He survived for 30 months from diagnosis which is pretty good going for G B M . All the best with your journey and your treatment, cheers Tony
Dear Professor Richard so sad to hear you going through this life changing trauma 😢 my prayers 🙏🙏 and thoughts 🥰🥰 are with you, my husband is 79 years old and he has stage 4 GlioBlastoma and has been given 22 months to live after his brain surgery in June this year, it was heart wrenching for my family and I to hear such sad news 💔😢 but we have faith in God that he will answer all our prayers and I also pray to God to guide you in your clinical trials to find a cure for this malignant tumour I admire you for all your good work and your trials will be successful and that God will cure you and in turn there will be hope for everyone else, you are to much of an important and kind person on this earth to lose may God bless you 🥰❤️🙏
Dear Prof.Scolyer,
I am very sorry to learn of this news. Sending you lots of positive energy and keeping you in my prayers.
With heartfelt sincere good wishes for a successful good outcome.
Will be following your progress with great interests.
Warm regards,
Dear Prof. Scolyer,
You are truly inspirational. Thank you for sharing your journey. That alone is helping so many people. Wishing you all the very best of outcomes and happy that you are in the best of safe hands. Thank you and Prof. Long for your dedicated work in melanoma treatment. The legacy of your work is reverberating worldwide. Warmest regards, Anna
Bless you… praying for you… following your story…I lost my husband to melanoma….if anyone can do this you can…God be with you 🙏…we need you!
Dear Richard,
I just read your news from TV@Tasmamia. I would love to express the sincerest support to you and your family.
A traveller from Hong Kong