Man With Terminal Prostate Cancer Becomes Cancer-Free After New Triple Therapy
Kevin Mortimer, diagnosed at 48 with stage four prostate cancer that had spread to his bones and lungs, is now disease-free following a groundbreaking treatment.
A father of one, Kevin Mortimer, has become cancer-free after receiving a pioneering 'triplet therapy' for terminal prostate cancer. The 51-year-old, from Liverpool, was diagnosed three years ago with stage four prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones and lungs. At the time of his diagnosis, Mortimer was told he had only months to live.
The treatment, approved by the NHS since 2022, combines chemotherapy and hormone therapy with the drug darolutamide. This triple approach attacks the cancer on multiple fronts. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells, while hormone therapy reduces male hormones that prostate cancer cells feed on. Darolutamide specifically blocks testosterone from reaching these cells.
Mortimer has been described as a 'super responder' to the therapy, meaning his cancer has become undetectable. He shared that breaking the news of his terminal diagnosis to his daughter on her 11th birthday was one of the most difficult moments of his life. He has since been able to celebrate two more of her birthdays.
Researchers are exploring whether darolutamide alone could be effective for some patients in the future, potentially eliminating the need for chemotherapy. Professor Gert Attard, a cancer researcher at University College London, noted that when he began treating prostate cancer patients 20 years ago, the average survival was two years, compared to 40% of patients on darolutamide now surviving and healthy 12 years later.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Britain, with approximately 63,000 new cases and 12,000 deaths annually. The Daily Mail is campaigning for an end to needless prostate cancer deaths and for a national screening program.
Mortimer's story echoes that of Kevin Webber, also diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer. Told he had around two years to live in 2014, Webber, now 61, has since competed in ultra-marathons, including the Marathon des Sables five times, and raised over £1 million for Prostate Cancer UK. He expressed a desire for the disease to be one that men no longer fear.