About Richard Scolyer (1966–2026)

What they say about Richard Scolyer

"Every day, this remarkable man – the cancer specialist who became his own subject – took us into his confidence, and he lifted us all in the process."

Quotes from Richard Scolyer

On his cancer diagnosis:

“I was diagnosed with a very poor prognostic form of glioblastoma (IDH wildtype unmethylated with a whole host of other adverse prognostic factors), in May 2023. Treatment and outcomes haven’t been improved in almost 20 years, and it is essentially incurable. 

I am the first patient in the world to be treated with neoadjuvant combination immunotherapy to generate scientific data that may change the field. The scientific data that has already been generated from my tumor has sparked interest in the field and a clinical trial is currently being developed to test this in a robust manner.”

On his biggest wish:

“That people of all ages, but especially young people, were more vigilant in protecting themselves from the sun. UV exposure leading to sunburn is the single biggest risk factor for developing skin cancer, which claims one Australian life every five hours.”

On his philosophy for life:

“Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy the process – because it’s through passion and fulfillment that you will have success and achieve things.”

Scolyer’s book, Brainstorm, describing his experiences as a patient with brain cancer and his research into its cure, was published in November 2024.