Dene’s story: helping the future of cancer treatment

It's been 10 years since the Cancer Centre at Guy’s first opened its doors to patients.

In that time, our cancer care has continued to evolve. More than 58,000 chemotherapy treatments are now delivered each year, and up to 150 oncology and haematology clinical trials run at any one time, giving eligible patients opportunities to take part in research into new treatments.

For Dene October, that research has become an important part of his care. Diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2021, Dene joined a clinical trial of a type of cell therapy at Guy’s in July 2026.

Dene's story

Dene, a senior lecturer at the University of Arts London from Dulwich, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2021. He started treatment within a week of referral to Guy’s Hospital. Since then, his care has included immunotherapy, radiotherapy, operations and chemotherapy at the Cancer Centre at Guy’s.

Dene said: “Immunotherapy worked really, really well for me. That was the beginning of Guy’s keeping me alive."

At the time of the diagnosis I joked, ‘If you can keep me alive for 5 years that would be fantastic.’ And here I am.

For Dene, living with cancer has also meant living with the uncertainty that comes with regular scans and waiting for results.

“When I was at the cancer centre I was being seen every 6 weeks and having a new CT scan. That’s how you live."

Dene, who married his long-term partner of 26 years, Chiman, in March 2026, continued: “And it takes it out on your partner too. An anxious loop of looking over your shoulder and waiting for the results.

"But when the treatment is working you take the opportunity to get on with your life. It's fantastic to be able to do the teaching and writing jobs I love. That’s part of who I am."

Taking part in cancer research

In June 2025, Dene learned that the cancer had spread to his ribs.

His lung cancer and cell therapy teams worked together to coordinate his care. Following further treatment, Dene was offered the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial of tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte therapy, known as TIL therapy, in July 2026.

TIL therapy involves removing immune cells, called T-cells, that have already reached a patient's tumour. The cells are multiplied in a laboratory before being given back to the patient, with the aim of helping their immune system target the cancer.

The trial is looking at whether TIL therapy can help people with cancer live longer.

Following treatment, Dene's scan showed that the combined size of the tumours being measured for the trial had reduced by 90% compared with before TIL therapy.

‘Seen as a person first’

Dene said the care he has received has helped him through some of the hardest parts of living with cancer. He has praised the care from the cancer teams at Guy’s, including nurses, doctors, allied health professionals and surgeons, who have supported him and his partner.

They’ve kept me alive for 5 years, and counting. What I originally meant as a joke, Guy’s took seriously.

He said: “There are countless rocky moments on a cancer journey, from debilitating pain to the crushing loss of your former energy. The clinical trial team managed my pain quickly, which was an immense relief. But what truly stayed with me was how they treated me like one of the team.

“I’m irritatingly curious and I need to contribute. That’s just who I am.

To flourish, I need to be seen as a person first, not just a patient. 

"The cancer teams instinctively recognised that collaborative spirit."

Developing new treatments for people with cancer

Dr Debra Josephs, a Consultant Medical Oncologist and Clinical Lead for Cell Therapies at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “This trial is giving Dene the opportunity to receive a highly personalised therapy made entirely from immune cells taken from his own tumour. It has the potential to give him a durable response, controlling his cancer for as long as possible.

“At Guy’s and St Thomas’, we are building one of the UK’s leading programmes for cell therapy in solid tumours. Historically, cell therapies have transformed the treatment of some blood cancers. We are now helping to bring that same ambition to people with solid tumours, giving eligible patients access to these novel cell therapies through clinical trials.”

Guy’s and St Thomas’ is 1 of 7 centres in the UK taking part in clinical trials in TIL therapy.

The research is one example of how cancer treatment and research at Guy’s has developed since the Cancer Centre opened 10 years ago.