Glioblastoma, also known as GBM, has no known cure. Standard treatment involves surgery to remove the tumor (if possible), followed by radiation and chemotherapy. The disease is considered a highly invasive tumor<\/a> in the central nervous system because its cells reproduce extremely quickly. Those who are diagnosed with the malignant tumor have a median survival rate of about 14 to 14.5 months.<\/p>\n Following his diagnosis, Trotman was referred by a friend to The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery at University College London Hospitals (UCLH). There, Dr. Paul Mulholland, a consultant medical oncologist, recruited Trotman to be the first patient in his clinical trial.<\/p>\n The trial involved him receiving the immunotherapy drug ipilimumab to treat his glioblastoma before undergoing any standard treatment. Afterward, Trotman began radiation and chemotherapy.<\/p>\n \u201cThe crucial element of this trial is that patients will have their immune system boosted by the drug before they have any other treatment, when they are fit and well enough to tolerate the immunotherapy,\u201d Mulholland said in a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n Courtesy of Ben and Emily Trotman<\/p>\n Ben and Emily Trotman on their wedding day in 2023<\/p>\n The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!<\/a><\/p>\n Two years and eight months after being the sole participant in the clinical trial, Trotman, now 43, is tumor-free, and his scans have come back clear.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is very unusual to have a clear scan with glioblastoma, especially when he didn\u2019t have the follow-up surgery that had been planned to remove all of the tumour that was initially visible on scans,\u201d Mulholland explained. \u201cWe hope that the immunotherapy and follow-up treatment Ben has had will hold his tumour at bay, and it has so far, which we are delighted to see.\u201d<\/p>\n Mulholland added that his goal is to find a cure for the \u201cdevastating disease\u201d that is glioblastoma, and he\u2019s hoping to move forward with additional patients.<\/p>\n Trotman is now married to wife Emily, and the couple welcomed daughter Mabel in April. The couple told the hospital that the clinical trial gave Trotman his life back.<\/p>\n \u201cGetting this diagnosis was the most traumatic experience,\u201d Emily said. \u201cWe were grappling with the fact that Ben had gone from being apparently perfectly healthy to having months to live. Had we not met Dr. Mulholland, that would have been it for us. We felt we had a lucky break in an otherwise devastating situation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe obviously don\u2019t know what the future holds, but having had the immunotherapy treatment and getting these encouraging scan results has given Emily and I a bit of hope,\u201d Trotman added. \u201cWe are focused on rebuilding the life we thought we had lost and enjoying being parents.\u201d<\/p>\n The new father said he\u2019s hoping that his brain cancer journey will give others hope and inspire more patients to participate in the next clinical trial.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\u00a0<\/p>\n Marie Mangan<\/p>\n Dr. Paul Mulholland and Dame Siobhain McDonagh<\/p>\n![\"Courtesy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/abbe3b3647f52bec95cc795e05563ccc.jpeg\"\/)
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