UNMASKED: Cancer, a Clinical Trial, and the Mindset That Got Me Through It

"For patients, carers and anyone facing something serious who needs proof that it is possible - and the healthcare professionals whose privilege it is to share that."- Dr Emma de Winton, Consultant Oncologist and Principal Investigator,Royal United Hospital BathWhen the author was diagnosed with T4 throat cancer, he was told the tumour was too large to operate on.He was offered a place on TORPEdO - the first clinical trial in the UK to study Proton Beam Therapy for throat cancer - at The Christie in Manchester, one of Europe's leading cancer centres. Not everyone who applied would get it. He wanted it more than he had ever wanted anything. He got it. He went alone, 180 miles from home, for six and a half weeks over Christmas and New Year. He completed every session. He rang the bell.A few months later, he swam the English Channel - one hour at a time, Monday to Friday, twenty-five metres at a go.Four years on, this book is the answer his trials nurse asked for.What made you successful in completing the trial when others could not?Unmasked is both a memoir and a practical guide - honest about what cancer treatment actually looks and feels like, and direct about the mindset that makes the difference between enduring something and deciding to get through it.The manuscript has been reviewed for accuracy by senior clinical staff and the Research and Development team at Royal United Hospital Bath.This book is for:Anyone facing a cancer diagnosis who needs proof it is possiblePatients preparing for treatment who want to know what it is really likeCarers and supporters looking for practical guidanceAnyone facing something serious who is looking for a reason to keep goingHealthcare professionals who want to understand the patient experience from the insideIt is possible. Keep going.