- Adam Alderson, 43, first entered medical textbooks in 2015
A man told he was dying from inoperable cancer is set to make history by having multi-organ transplant surgery for the second time in a bid to beat the disease.
Adam Alderson, 43, first entered medical textbooks in 2015 when surgeons removed a massive tumour 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 pioneering op, which involved removing his stomach, small and large intestines, pancreas, spleen, gall bladder, appendix, most of his liver and abdominal wall.
Mr Alderson’s surgery was one of only a handful of such operations to be performed in the UK. At the time, there were no known living survivors of the procedure.
Now he is set to make history again as he prepares for another multiple transplant to replace seven of his organs after doctors discovered his extremely rare cancer had returned.
Mr Alderson, who lives with wife Laura in Preston-under-Scar, North Yorkshire, said: ‘It’s never been done before in the UK, where someone has had two such transplants like this for this condition. It’s amazing.’
Surgeon Brendan Moran, part of a 30-strong team who carried out his first operation, said: ‘This is a very rare cancer and it’s not usually diagnosed until it’s advanced, which makes it difficult to treat.
‘We’ve done about 18 cases so far in the UK, and Adam is the oldest surviving patient.
‘We have never before done two such transplants on the same patient. Adam is amazingly resilient and he is young and fit, but it’s a very tough operation to go through.’
Mr Alderson had been misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome before he discovered he had pseudomyxoma peritonei, a rare cancer that usually starts with a small growth, or polyp, in the appendix.
By the time such growths are detected and diagnosed, the disease is often well advanced.
When specialists tried to remove Mr Alderson’s tumour, they found the cancer had spread too far.
‘They said they were sorry, but there was nothing they could do,’ he said. ‘They disconnected my bowel, gave me a bag and a feeding tube and sent me home on palliative care with at best two years to live.’
After chemotherapy Mr Alderson refused to give up, even when told he was nearing the end.
He pleaded with Mr Moran, who agreed to treat him. As soon as a donor was found,
Mr Alderson had the 18-hour operation at Churchill Hospital in Oxford. His recovery went so well he and Laura devoted themselves to raising funds 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 look at doing 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 have Mr Moran and the team to thank for that.’
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
