Icon Writers
At Icon, our dedicated research program enables people to access new and emerging advances in cancer treatment, giving new hope and opportunities to patients and their families. Patients like Peter Smith.
Peter (79) was diagnosed with smoldering myeloma, an asymptomatic, pre-cancerous and slow-growing stage of multiple myeloma, in May 2016.
With no symptoms to report, Peter’s diagnosis was discovered following a series of blood tests, which were instead aimed at picking up any heart-related issues.
“Because I am one of nine siblings and there have been heart issues in my family, I was having my heart checked each year,” says Peter.
“My GP and cardiologist weren’t happy with the results and eventually, my smoldering myeloma diagnosis was uncovered. It was certainly a shock, as I didn’t experience any symptoms.”
Following his diagnosis, Peter was referred to now retired Icon Cancer Centre haematologist, Dr Nicholas Wickham.
Peter says he quickly established a good rapport with his haematologist. So, when Dr Wickham told Peter that he was eligible for a clinical trial looking at the benefits of a new drug to treat multiple myeloma called Darzalex, Peter agreed to take part in the trial.
I was happy to be involved. My thought process was, if it didn’t help me, hopefully it would help other people,” says Peter.
“Without patients to trial new treatments, there wouldn’t be breakthroughs in fighting cancer. So, I hoped that by participating, it would help in some way.
Peter started on the clinical trial in August 2016.
Through the trial it was found that Darzalex, a targeted immunotherapy used to treat newly diagnosed, relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, significantly improves outcomes for patients.
In late 2025, nine years after Peter commenced on the treatment, it was announced that eligible patients can access Darzalex as a first-line therapy through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
This was proud day for Peter.
“My doctor said to me at the time: “You should be proud of yourself, as you stuck with this drug even when you didn’t feel well and now thanks to patients like you, other multiple myeloma patients will have greater access to this drug.” That was lovely to hear,” says Peter.
Peter, who served in the Vietnam War supplying troops with stocks, is glad other patients can now benefit from the treatment.
Peter continues to undergo the treatment himself at Icon Cancer Centre Tennyson, visiting the centre every four weeks for treatment.
“I actually enjoy visiting the team there, as everyone is so lovely,” says Peter.
“Thanks to their care, I’m still here to do the things I enjoy, like spending time with my partner and friends. I go to gym most days. I’ve always looked after my body. When my time is up, I want to be a good-looking corpse,” laughs Peter.
Clinical trials offered at Icon
At Icon, our dedicated research program enables our patients to access new and emerging advances in cancer treatment, giving new hope and opportunities to patients and their families.
We run trials across various tumour types and haematological conditions, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiation therapy trials. Icon also offer trials that aren’t directly connected to a treatment technique, but are focused on wellbeing and improving quality of life for our patients.
By providing access to a wide range of clinical trials across a multitude of cancer types, Icon helps to contribute to breakthroughs and advancements in cancer treatments for the benefit of current and future patients.
