A WOMAN suffering from cancer after a career working with asbestos has had her life transformed thanks to a new treatment.

Carol Wesson, 73, developed mesothelioma after years working for a company that used asbestos rope as a door seal in the manufacture of stoves.

“I didn’t work on the factory floor,” said Carol, from Wimborne. “I was in the sales team and worked mainly in the office. But sometimes I would help out by going into the factory and cutting a piece of the asbestos rope. I just used a pair of big scissors and you could see the fibres coming off the rope as I cut.”

In late 2016, Carol began to notice changes to how she was feeling. “I would be out walking my dogs and I would start to feel breathless going up hills. Then I developed a cough so in the New Year I went to see the doctor and was referred to hospital where I was diagnosed with cancer.

“The day I was diagnosed I was told the prognosis was about a year. I was completely shocked, stunned. There was no cancer in my family just heart disease. I had never been ill in my life. I had worked for years without a day’s sickness.

“Obviously, my friend and I discussed everything on the journey home. Probably still in shock, I resigned myself that I wasn’t going to live very long, and I had to make the most of life while I could. I emailed all of my friends spread around the country, telling them of the prognosis and that was the end of the subject and never to mention it to me. Just carry on as usual.

“On reflection, I must have blocked the idea of “a year” out of my mind because by the summer I’d booked to go with a friend to Sweden for my 70th birthday at the end of the year. My consultant must have thought he was dealing with a mad woman but probably to everyone’s surprise I went and had a fabulous time.”

After being diagnosed with mesothelioma in January 2017, Carol was treated with chemotherapy. She was then given the chance to take part in a new clinical trial developed by researchers at the University of Southampton, called CONFIRM.

Mesothelioma develops in the lining of the lungs or abdomen, with most cases caused by exposure to asbestos. Currently seven per cent of people survive their disease for five years or more.

A total of 332 patients whose tumours were still growing after receiving chemotherapy and who were not able to have surgery, took part in the randomised CONFIRM trial. A total of 221 of those patients were given nivolumab and the remaining 111 given a placebo once every fortnight for up to 12 months.

Until now, no treatment had been found that could significantly improve outcomes for patients.

The trial saw those who had nivolumab survive an average of 9.2 months compared to those in the placebo group who survived 6.6 months. Patients who received nivolumab also had more stable disease.

The risk of their cancer progressing was reduced by 39 per cent, with people not seeing their cancer worsening for 3.0 months compared with 1.8 months in the placebo group.

Carol said: “I think it is so important for patients to be involved in research. When I was offered the chance to be part of the CONFIRM trial at Bournemouth Hospital, I jumped at it. It’s wonderful knowing that you are not only potentially helping yourself, but also helping improve treatment for more patients in the future.”

Since the trial she has been receiving nivolumab through the NHS.

“It’s made a huge difference to my life. I can go out and walk my dogs, I split logs for my wood burner, and I do my garden. I can’t do everything exactly as I used to but then I am 73. I don’t take much notice of my age any more than I do of my tumour. I just get on with enjoying my life.

“One thing that is always foremost in my mind is that everything you read about mesothelioma is grim, full of doom. I just want to let patients know that it isn’t always like that. There are times when things aren’t so good, but you must always be positive and look for alternatives such as trials where we all can benefit.”

Every year around 25 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma in Dorset. Cases of mesothelioma in the UK have increased by 61 per cent since the early 1990s. It is particularly high in areas where shipping and mining industries formerly thrived.

Professor Gareth Griffiths, director of the Cancer Research UK clinical trials unit at the University of Southampton, said: “This trial shows clear evidence of benefit and marks a major breakthrough in the treatment of mesothelioma, a disease where there are currently very few options for patients when first-line chemotherapy has stopped working and prognosis is often very poor.

“This is the first study ever to show improved survival and we therefore believe that nivolumab could be a game-changer for treating mesothelioma patients in the future.”

Since its launch in 2012, Stand Up To Cancer has raised over £62 million to fund 55 clinical trials and research projects involving around 11,000 cancer patients.

To donate visit su2c.org.uk