Charity milestone for cancer survivor

A CANCER survivor who has raised thousands of pounds is celebrating a charity milestone.

Richard Maltby, from Aberford, near Leeds, was diagnosed with bowel cancer and colorectal liver cancer in 2002.

Thirteen years later, after defying the odds, the 67-year-old is now clear of the disease and has helped raise a total of £114,000 for charity since that first diagnosis.

Mr Maltby, a golfer, was motivated by his battle and after treatment challenged his surgeons at Spire Leeds Hospital to a golf tournament in aid of the Rays of Hope Charity – the Yorkshire Liver Research Fund to help others fighting the disease.

Now an annual event at Wetherby Golf Club, the next charity golf challenge will take place in July. The father-of-two said: “I was so grateful to the doctors for saving my life I wanted to say thank you in some way.”

The fundraising milestone comes as latest figures from Cancer Research UK suggest liver cancer rates are projected to rise by 38 per cent in the UK up to 2035.

The organisation’s figures show some 5,550 new cases were diagnosed in 2014 and 5,091 deaths from the disease were recorded in the same year.

Mr Maltby, a retired BT manager, was initially given a prognosis of a 40 per chance of surviving five years. He underwent bowel and liver surgery and a six-month course of chemotherapy at Spire Leeds Hospital. He has been clear of the disease for 13 years.

The golf tournament takes place on July 20, when 20 teams of four will compete before a dinner and raffle.