‘Worried’: Australian of the Year, Richard Scolyer, provides sad cancer update

Former Australian of the Year Richard Scolyer has provided an update on his battle with a brain tumour.

Former Australian of the Year Richard Scolyer has provided an update on his ongoing battle with brain cancer.

Professor Scolyer was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour, glioblastoma, in 2023, and given only eight months to live.

He was awarded Australian of the Year in 2024 alongside research partner Georgina Long for their pioneering research and treatment for melanoma.

Amid his diagnosis Professor Scolyer conducted experimental treatment based on melanoma breakthroughs, including undergoing immunotherapy before removing the brain tumour.

Richard Scolyer was co-awarded Australian of the Year in 2024. Picture: Supplied.

While the treatments kept his cancer at bay for nearly two years, in February he announced the tumour had returned.

In an Instagram update, Professor Scolyer confessed he was “a bit worried” about undergoing his first MRI scan since the recurrent brain surgery he had in early March.

He explained while the surgery aimed to remove the majority of the tumour, there were “little tentacles” left behind, requiring further treatments that can “mop up“ and destroy “the wretched tumour cells”.

“Depending on what the scan shows ..... that will help choose what are the next forms of therapy that I can have to see where we need to go from here,” he said.

He announced his cancer recurred in February 2025. Picture: Instagram

Professor Scolyer Weil undergo further treatments to remove the remaining tumour. Picture: Instagram

Professor Scolyer explained he was feeling “a little up and down” due to the ongoing treatments, describing it as a “tough journey at times”.

“Sometimes I’m happy to have fun, but some of the therapies have knocked me around a bit, so I can’t do some of the things I love doing,” he said.

“I’m still having a fun time at home with my kids, they’ve been very kind, as well as my beautiful wife Katie has, who’s been using her incredible intellect to help me speak to different doctors about various options that are available.”

He is hopeful the treatments and operations will help ‘push things along faster’. Picture: Supplied.

He will undergo another operation and is hopeful “things will move forward in the right direction”.

“Fingers crossed this operation isn’t so bad and we can move forward with the next form of therapy and hopefully push things along faster to try and get things open up for many, many patients who have got glioblastoma,” he said.

Originally published as ‘Worried’: Australian of the Year, Richard Scolyer, provides sad cancer update