‘Not much longer’: Professor Richard Scolyer’s heartbreaking confession in touching interview with Carrie Bickmore

Professor Richard Scolyer became emotional as he shared a difficult confession about his cancer with Carrie Bickmore.

Australian of the Year Professor Scolyer has bravely insisted that he’s “not given up” following news that his brain cancer has tragically progressed.

Prof Scolyer, 58, was diagnosed with aggressive and incurable glioblastoma in 2023 and was initially given just eight months to live.

However, after undergoing experimental immunotherapy based on melanoma research, his cancer remained at bay for 18 months.

Despite his perseverance, sadly, Prof Scolyer confirmed this week that a recent MRI scan had shown further progression of the tumour on the left side of his brain.

“While this may not be the best direction to be heading with my changes, amazingly (to me), I still seem keen to keep living, loving and having fun, whenever possible,” he wrote on social media.

Professor Scolyer has shared that he doesn't have much time left before he succumbs to his brain cancer. Picture: Facebook.

“I feel like there are quite a few people on my team (including my family & friends) and they make me happy and proud.”

Speaking to Carrie Bickmore on Wednesday on The Hit Network’s Carrie & Tommy in a pre-recorded interview, Prof Scolyer insisted that he hasn’t given up hope and is determined to stick around for as long as possible.

“I haven’t given up,” he said. “There’re still opportunities out there. That’s a reflection of many people - and me included. The fact I’m still alive and the three of us are able to have a conversation gives me some hope.”

Prof Scolyer appeared on the show with his partner Katie Nicoll, and during an emotional moment, Bickmore, who has raised more than $24 million for brain cancer research in the last decade thanks to her tireless work, asked the pair to share what they mean to each other.

“Katie is a wonderful person and I’m so proud and happy that she’s supporting me as we go through this difficult period,” said a clearly emotional Prof Scolyer. “Everyone’s life only has a set period with one person, make the most of it, Katie, even after I leave this world.”

Ms Nicholl added that she’s felt blessed to take on a new outlook on life thanks to her partner’s refusal to allow his disease to bring him down.

“I feel so grateful to have shared so many adventures with Rich. We’ll all take his adventurous spirit and his zest for trying new things, giving anything a go. I think we call all get something from that.”

Carrie Bickmore has worked tirelessly to raise money for brain cancer research. Picture: Supplied.

Prof Scolyer has been hard at work trying a range of different treatments and therapies in a bid to keep his disease at bay so he can enjoy life with his wife and children for as long as possible. However, life expectancies for brain cancer have tragically remained essentially the same for the last three decades.

“From our perspective as doctors, we understand the disease from the same perspective,” he said. “But this type of treatment, giving the drugs before the treatment is removed is a big deal. We know from what we’ve seen in melanoma, if you give these drugs before the tumour is excised, they have a much better effect than if you take the same amount of tumour route and then give the drugs. There’s no difference in the type of treatment that you get.

“We saw incredible data that this is much more effective than what you see in novel immunotherapy. From our perspective, we work in this field, it was a no-brainer to me to give it a crack and see if we could make a difference using this technique.”

Nicholl went on to share that there have been some small but noticeable differences in Scolyer’s behaviour since his heartbreaking second diagnosis that they recently shared with the public.

Scolyer with his beloved wife, Katie Nicholls. Picture: Facebook.

“He’s a doer when he sees a challenge or something to be done,” she shared. “All through last year … I didn’t see much difference to the old Richard. Since the recurrence … it’s just the little memory things that have been a bit more challenging. A bit of tiredness. It’s nice to be able to see Richard still give back, get involved, advocate.”

The Australian of the Year recipient went to on to admit that he’s full aware and has come to the point of acceptance with knowing that he has little time left.

“I know that I’m not going to be alive longer … to get out to two years, I feel proud that’s happened, and I want to make a difference,” he added. “There are other parts of my life that I love, and I haven’t been able to spend as much time in. But other things have been turned around; spending time with Katie and the kids, that’s been fantastic.”

To mark the 10-year anniversary of Bickmore’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer charity, the radio star is relaunching the fundraising campaign by taking on one of her biggest personal challenges yet: the Big 5 Marathon in South Africa.

Listen to Carrie and Tommy on the Hit Network from 3-6pm weekdays, also on LiSTNR.

Originally published as ‘Not much longer’: Professor Richard Scolyer’s heartbreaking confession in touching interview with Carrie Bickmore