24 July 2023

Lung Cancer Patient begins fundraising cycle from Cardiff to Paris to improve diagnosis for others

In September 2022, at the age of 40, Craig Maxwell was diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer, EGFR+. Craig was told that the Stage 4 cancer had spread to his bones and was at this point incurable. Facing a terminal illness, he began to focus on ways he could contribute to the improvement of diagnosis and treatment of cancer for other patients across Wales, and has since been completing a number of physical challenges to raise awareness and funds for the QuicDNA Liquid Biopsy Clinical trial.  

Today, 24th July, Craig sets off from Cardiff on a bike ride which will take him and his fundraising team all the way to Paris, travelling approximately 320 miles to their final destination on Thursday 27th. With this, he hopes to move closer to his goal of raising a £300 000 contribution towards the innovative clinical trial which looks at how the use of a simple liquid biopsy blood test earlier in the diagnostic process for lung cancer can improve and speed up diagnosis, reduce the time between diagnosis and treatment, and eventually inform how this technology can be used for other types of cancer. 

The QuicDNA Liquid Biopsy clinical trial is made possible through the All-Wales Medical Genomics Service (AWMGS), Illumina Technology, Life Sciences Hub Wales, and multiple partner organisations. Liquid biopsy as a tool in genomic medicine is expected to become a pivotal part of healthcare and provide a better understanding of illnesses, improve patient outcomes and transform lives. In the future it has the potential to provide a simple, accessible and reliable means of investigating suspected cancer and less invasive monitoring for cancer recurrence. 

More information on Craig’s story can be found here