A man who was told he was dying of inoperable cancer will make history by undergoing a multi-organ transplant for the second time in a bid to beat the disease.
Adam Alderson, 43, first entered medical textbooks in 2015 when surgeons removed a huge tumor and transplanted six organs from a single donor to save his life after other doctors told him nothing more could be done.
He begged surgeons to try the groundbreaking operation, which removed his stomach, small and large intestines, pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, appendix, most of his liver and abdominal wall.
Mr Alderson’s operation was one of only a few such operations carried out in Britain. At the time, there were no known living survivors of the procedure.
Adam Alderson, 43, first entered medical textbooks in 2015 when surgeons removed a huge tumor and transplanted six organs from a single donor to save his life after other doctors told him nothing more could be done. Pictured: Adam Alderson with his wife Laura
He begged surgeons to try the groundbreaking operation, which removed his stomach, small and large intestines, pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, appendix, most of his liver and abdominal wall.
Mr Alderson’s operation was one of only a few such operations carried out in Britain. At the time, there were no known living survivors of the procedure
Now he is about to make history again as he prepares for another multiple transplant to replace seven of his organs after doctors discovered his ultra-rare cancer had returned.
Mr Alderson, who lives with his wife Laura in Preston-under-Scar, North Yorkshire, said: ‘It has never been done before in the UK, where someone has had two of these types of transplants for this condition. It is awesome.’
Surgeon Brendan Moran, part of a 30-strong team that performed his first operation, said: ‘This is a very rare form of cancer and is usually not diagnosed until the disease is advanced, making it difficult to treat.
‘We’ve done about 18 cases in the UK so far, and Adam is the oldest surviving patient.
‘We have never performed two such transplants on the same patient. Adam is incredibly resilient and he is young and fit, but it is a very tough operation to go through.”
Mr Alderson had been misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome before discovering he had pseudomyxoma peritonei, a rare form of cancer that usually starts with a small growth, or polyp, in the appendix.
By the time such growths are discovered and diagnosed, the disease is often well advanced.
When specialists tried to remove Alderson’s tumor, they discovered that the cancer had spread too far.
Now he is about to make history again as he prepares for another multiple transplant to replace seven of his organs after doctors discovered his ultra-rare cancer had returned. In the photo: previously in the hospital
Mr Alderson had been misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome before discovering he had pseudomyxoma peritonei, a rare form of cancer that usually starts with a small growth, or polyp, in the appendix.
“They said they were sorry, but there was nothing they could do,” he said. ‘They disconnected my intestine, gave me a bag and a feeding tube and sent me home with palliative care, with a maximum of two years to live.’
After chemotherapy, Mr Alderson refused to give up, even when he was told the end was near.
He begged Mr Moran, who agreed to treat him. Once a donor was found,
Mr Alderson underwent the 18-hour operation at Churchill Hospital in Oxford. His recovery went so well that he and Laura dedicated themselves to raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
But last month a scan showed the cancer had returned and doctors suggested another multiple transplant, replacing the same six organs plus his liver.
“They will consider the transplant in the next 12 to 18 months,” he said. ‘It’s a very slow growing cancer, so it will definitely buy me more time. I feel very lucky to still be here. I owe that to Mr Moran and the team.”