‘Miracle’ cancer drug shrinks grandmother’s tumours by 50% in just three months

A grandmother with advanced bowel cancer has praised the ‘miracle’ drug that shrunk her tumours by half.

Terri Hurdman, who has three children and six grandchildren, was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in February 2020 after her GP referred her to Kidderminster Hospital with stomach pains.

After discovering the cancer had spread to her lungs, the forty-nine-year-old underwent three types of chemotherapy, which all failed to work. There, medics told her she had no options left.

By August last year, Terri had become so weak that she required a wheelchair to leave the house, and struggled with day-to-day tasks like climbing the stairs and talking on the phone.

Terri Hurdman / Facebook

However, at the start of this year, Terri joined a clinical trial at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust here in Manchester for a new drug that targets a specific gene controlling how cancer grows. 

Miraculously, the new drug started working immediately, with Terri claiming she was able to climb the stairs and walk short distances within hours. 

And, three months into her treatment, scans showed her tumours had halved in size.

The medicine is so new it has not been given a name yet, but medics are impressed by its results.

Gerald England / Geograph

Speaking to ITV News, Terri hailed the drug as a ‘miracle’, saying: “It really is a wonder drug. Within days I didn’t need to use the wheelchair at all, and I didn’t get out of breath climbing stairs, which would have previously led to a coughing fit.

“My appetite came back, which made me look so much healthier, and the colour returned to my cheeks.

“I didn’t think I’d make it to Christmas, but now I’m looking forward to celebrating my fiftieth birthday in July. I feel myself again and I’m able to enjoy life.”

Dr Matthew Krebs, medical oncologist from the Christie and the University of Manchester, leading on the study in the UK, added: “We are delighted at the response Terri has had to this treatment.

TECU Consulting UK / Flickr

“Her scans show that her tumours have reduced by nearly 50% in just three months. This is promising for a drug early in its development directed at KRAS mutation that has historically been very difficult to treat.

“It targets only a specific sub-type of KRAS mutation, and a similar drug has already been approved for patients with lung cancer.

“There’s much more work to do before this drug may be available routinely for patients, and not everyone will respond in this way, but Terri’s case highlights the importance of genetic testing in cancer patients and the potential benefits that clinical trials of new drugs can hold.”