Jan's Story

Jan had just celebrated the birth of her first grandchild, a moment filled with overwhelming joy, when she visited her doctor about a persistent pain in her chest. 

What followed was devastating.  Jan was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. 

The news didn’t make sense. Jan had never smoked a day in her life. But the hardest blow came with the prognosis, being told she had less than a year to live.

Jan’s story is not uncommon. Around 35% of women diagnosed with lung cancer in Australia are non-smokers.  (Source: Cancer Council NSW)

Amid the fear and heartbreak, Jan was given a glimmer of hope, a place in a Mater Research clinical trial, testing a groundbreaking combination of immunotherapy and chemotherapy. 

“My greatest hope was just to have more time,” Jan said. 

Under the care of Dr Vikram Jain and the dedicated team at the Mater Cancer Care Centre, Jan began the trial. Her response was nothing short of extraordinary. 

Eight years on, Jan’s life looks vastly different from what she once feared. She has walked her grandson into his first day of school, welcomed another grandson, and watched her son get married, moments that once felt impossible. 

Dr Jain said research funding is critical. 

Clinical trials are essential to cancer care, giving clinicians access to some of the newest and most innovative treatments available. 

“The increased cancer survival rates we see today are because of access to research, and from successful trials becoming the standard of care,” Dr Jain said. 

Every Mater Prize Home ticket helps fund the vital research that makes survival stories like Jan’s possible. It supports clinical trials, accelerates innovation, and gives more families precious time together. 

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