Brainstorm
by Richard Scolyer with Garry Maddox
Allen & Unwin
Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. According to Professor Richard Scolyer, one Australian is diagnosed every 30 minutes with melanoma and one person dies every six hours in Australia from the most common cancer for 20 to 39 year-olds.
Thanks to research done by Scolyer and research partner Professor Georgina Long at Australia’s Melanoma Institute, thousands of lives have been saved. Latest figures show that 57% of advanced melanoma patients have been able to survive for at least five years and many have been effectively cured because of their work.
Journalist Garry Maddox is one of those patients that was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma in 2019 and, five years later, has helped Scolyer write the book about how he came to be named joint 2024 Australian of the Year with research partner Georgina Long.
Not only were Scolyer and Long given the award for their advances in melanoma and skin cancer treatment, but for their pioneering work in applying their immunology research to cure an incurable brain tumour and revolutionise brain cancer treatment … with Scolyer as the research guinea pig.
Scolyer had diagnosed brain tumours several times and knew the outcome for people with a high-grade glioblastoma was not at all good. His life was turned upside-down when he received the diagnosis that he had the aggressive brain tumour … and he wasn’t ready to die.
The last photograph in the book is of a celebration for Scolyer being 12 months since being diagnosed with the brain tumour – cancer free and giving new hope for other brain tumour patients.
Brainstorm is an incredible account of Scolyer’s life and drive to live it to the fullest, overcoming even the worst obstacles that have been thrown in his path. It is also an account of how family, friends and colleagues can make a difference.
Lezly Herbert
