A grandfather from Bury who visited his GP after noticing one symptom was later told by doctors he had a rugby-ball-sized tumour in his abdomen. Lee Bather, 68, from Radcliffe, was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2018 after the shock discovery of blood in his urine one night before bed.
The retired care worker then saw his doctor, who referred him for tests which led to the discovery of a large tumour attached to part of his stomach, bowel and adrenal gland. Lee said: "I went to see my GP and was referred immediately for an ultrasound. I could see for myself there was a huge mass on the screen."
Surgery and treatment
Lee said: "They said it was the size of a rugby ball and had been growing for around 12 years. When I heard the word cancer it really hit me hard. And the moment when you're taken down the corridor for surgery not knowing if you'll wake up and see your family again is really tough."
He underwent a nine-hour operation to remove the tumour, which was then taken away for research. After surgery, Lee received immunotherapy to treat cancer that had spread to his aorta and right lung. He underwent two years of treatment at The Christie in Manchester which helped to shrink the cancer.
But he also experienced serious side effects affecting his pituitary gland and thyroid and now relies on medication to keep both working properly.
Backing new research
Lee is now backing vital research into how type 2 diabetes could increase the risk of the disease. He has been taking medication for type 2 diabetes since 2006. The new Cancer Research UK-funded study in Manchester is looking into how obesity, type 2 diabetes and related metabolic changes could contribute to the earliest stages of kidney cancer. The research aims to find new ways to prevent the disease.
Lee added: "Research into finding ways to prevent and treat this awful disease is so important. I donated my tumour to research, and it was taken away as soon as it was removed. If I can help one person survive I'll be happy."
"Research into prevention is even more powerful. And if there can be a test in the future that could trace the beginnings of cancer for people with type two diabetes like me, then it could mean people in the future don't have to go through everything I have."
Family support
Lee, who has three children, eight grandchildren and lives with his wife Deborah, 68, said: "My wife and my daughters Kirsty and Autumn have been amazing, I couldn't have done it without their support. It was hard for my son Karl because he's in Australia."
"I had them and my grandchildren in my mind when I was first diagnosed and during the hard times throughout my treatment particularly when I lost a dramatic amount of weight when my pituitary gland stopped working. I lost three stone and looked like a skeleton. It was my family that gave me the strength to fight this awful disease."
"I could hear my late dad's words in my ears; our family doesn't give up without a fight. And I was determined that this wasn't going to beat me."
The new study, led by the director of the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, Professor Samra Turajlic, aims to uncover how changes in the body's metabolism can trigger the earliest stages of clear cell renal cell carcinoma - the most common type of kidney cancer. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are both associated with an increased risk of developing the disease, but researchers are still working to understand the link.
The new research, funded by a grant award of more than £600,000 from Cancer Research UK, will use clinical data to look into how obesity and related metabolic changes affect kidney cells and promote early cancer development. Researchers will also explore whether existing medicines used to treat diabetes and support weight loss could help prevent kidney cancer in people at increased risk.
Professor Samra Turajlic said: "Our research has shown that cells in the human kidney carrying these early genetic changes rarely develop into cancer on their own. That tells us that genetic changes may only be part of the story."
"We know that conditions including obesity, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure are associated with kidney cancer, suggesting that the wider metabolic environment could play an important role in determining whether these vulnerable cells go on to form a tumour."
"Studies by our collaborators in mice have also shown that a high-fat diet can make these cells more likely to grow and form tumours. Our goal now is to uncover how these factors alter the biology of the kidney and create the conditions that allow vulnerable cells to become cancerous."
"If we can pinpoint what pushes a cell from vulnerability towards cancer, we could reveal a critical window in which to intervene – opening up new possibilities for stopping kidney cancer before a tumour ever forms."
Executive Director of Research at Cancer Research UK, Dr Iain Foulkes, said: "Some of the most important breakthroughs in cancer research could come from stopping it developing in the first place."
"We know that obesity and type 2 diabetes are associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer, but we understand surprisingly little about the underlying mechanism. If we can understand that it raises the possibility that we could use existing medicines to help prevent some kidney cancers."
"This is exactly the kind of ambitious research Cancer Research UK exists to fund: using fundamental discoveries about cancer biology to open up entirely new possibilities for preventing the disease and saving lives."
