I got violently sick after eating a dodgy steak pie – but it ended up saving my life
AN OAP told how he helped test a lifesaving drug — after a “lucky” steak pie left him violently ill.
William Dunnachie, 69, was one of almost 1,000 volunteers in a worldwide trial of a new treatment for people who’ve had an op to treat kidney cancer.
He took part while recovering from surgery to remove a tumour that was only spotted after he landed in hospital due to the dodgy chippy treat.
Now the retired labourer, of Redding, Falkirk, is delighted the experimental therapy he was given has been approved for use in Scotland, where it could help 100 patients a year.
William said: “When they asked me to take part in the trial I said, ‘Of course.’ I’ve been lucky. This has given me a second kick at the ball.”
He recalled how he suffered “pretty awful” food poisoning after munching the pie supper.
The pensioner said: “I was sick for three days. Then a paramedic came and told me, ‘You’ll need to go to hospital.’
“I was taken in, got a scan and the doctor said they had to take my gallbladder out.
“They put a couple of stents in and then saw there was a big tumour on my kidney.”
Stricken William was transferred from Forth Valley Royal Hospital in nearby Larbert to Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
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During his five weeks there surgeons whipped out his gallbladder and a kidney, including the cancerous tumour.
He said: “My Christmas dinner in December 2017 was a yoghurt and a packet of crisps.
“I couldn’t eat much food because of all the antibiotics I was on. The tumour was pretty substantial in size.
“Fortunately, follow-up scans showed the cancer had not spread anywhere else.
“It would have spread had it not been spotted early.
“It was a lucky steak pie supper — it saved my life.”
When William returned to the hospital for tests his surgeon told him about a clinical trial for pembrolizumab.
This is a drug devised to stimulate the immune system and lower the chances of kidney cancer returning.
He agreed to take part and attended Glasgow’s Beatson Cancer Centre, where he was injected with the drug once every three weeks.
After going through the year-long programme, led by Dr Balaji Venugopal, William said: “It’s helped me because I’m getting constant checks.
“The staff were brilliant. And so far I’m clear.
“The doctor explained that after getting kidney cancer you can be totally free or it can come back. My GP told me if it did return it would likely be in my lungs.
“I actually went back to the chippy where I bought the steak pie and told them about all that happened. I’m not blaming them whatsoever.”
Last week, after the trial that William took part in was declared a success, pembrolizu- bam was approved for use on Scots kidney cancer patients.
Dr Venugopal said: “Many patients who have a cancerous kidney removed will be cured. But in some the cancer will recur and may spread to other parts of the body. Our trial showed those who receive pembrolizumab for a year after surgery have a significantly lower risk of recurrence.
“This is the first time an immune-stimulating drug has been shown to do this.
“A team of dedicated patients and staff at the Beatson took part in this trial, which was conducted all over the world. The results are promising.
“It is exciting the Scottish Medicines Consortium has now approved pembrolizumab to be available to all patients in this situation in NHS Scotland.”
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