‘My landmark legal case win’
A FORMER carpenter who contracted cancer after working with asbestos in the ’60s and ’70s will be given access to pioneering cancer treatment following a successful legal ruling.
A FORMER carpenter who contracted cancer following exposure to asbestos has won a landmark case giving him lifelong access to a pioneering treatment.
Wayne Phillips from Aberdare was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2017, which is almost exclusively linked to asbestos exposure.
This followed years of occupational asbestos exposure through his career as a carpenter and joiner in the 1960s and 1970s.
Alongside a settlement, Wayne has secured a lifelong insurance indemnity, giving him unlimited access to pioneering immunotherapy treatment which has shown early impressive effectiveness but is not available on the NHS.
Immunotherapy treatments use drugs to stimulate the patient’s immune system to kill mesothelioma cells.
Although immunotherapy for mesothelioma is still being developed, the treatment has shown some success and specialists are optimistic about its potential.
At present the treatment is not available on the NHS, but can be accessed privately, although the costs of doing so can be prohibitive.
Wayne, 68, said: “When I received my diagnosis I was absolutely devastated, in complete shock. When the GP said it was mesothelioma I didn’t know what he was talking about – it was the first time I’d heard the word.
“I did suspect my symptoms might have been related to asbestos exposure, as I had a friend who passed away who had similar symptoms and worked in the same industries as me.”
Mesothelioma, which typically starts in the layers of tissue that cover each lung, can take decades to develop.
But when symptoms emerge it progresses rapidly and aggressively, with most dying within a year of being diagnosed.
Lawyers Hugh James unlocked the access to the immunotherapy treatment via an agreement with the defendant, making the case the first in Wales and one of only a handful in the UK.
“This settlement is hugely significant for me in that it will give me ongoing access to an expensive drug that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to access,” Wayne said.
“I am currently participating in a research trial with a similar drug at the Velindre Cancer Centre. I have had encouraging results so far and according to my last scan my cancer has reduced considerably.
“There’s a lot riding on my next scan, but I’m feeling really hopeful for the future.”
Richard Green, specialist asbestos lawyer at Hugh James, who represented Wayne Phillips, said: “Across the UK, around 2,500 people per year are diagnosed with mesothelioma, which is very aggressive and at present incurable.
“It is notable that many of these cases are reported from areas like South Wales, which has a strong industrial heritage, and it is anticipated that the number of people killed by it will continue to increase for the next five years.
“Unlike other types of cancer, treatment options for mesothelioma are limited and expensive, leaving sufferers with few options post-diagnosis.
“The ruling in this case therefore has major implications for other asbestos cases, as it offers victims like Wayne the financial resource to tap into potentially pioneering treatments that have the potential to substantially prolong their lives.”
Action Mesothelioma Day took place last Friday.