A dad in remission from an aggressive form of cancer says an experimental vaccine saved his life, as doctors celebrate what could be a revolutionary alternative to chemotherapy.

Nigel French, 53, from Whitstable, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2015 and told the life-expectancy for people with his condition was 18 months.

But seven years on, he says the medical trial he participated in has changed his life, and enabled him to meet his grandchild.

“It makes me stop and think about what’s really important,” he said.

“February this year, my first grandchild was born. That’s a milestone I might not have seen if it wasn’t for the vaccine.

“It seems like it all happened so fast, and at the time you just go with the flow and do what you can.

“But, on reflection, I believe the trial gave me a lifeline.”

The DCVax-®L vaccine, which is being trialled at King’s College Hospital in London, is created for each patient individually by isolating specific immune cells from their blood. It has been shown to extend survival by months or even years.

“They took samples of the brain tumour and the white blood cells and they trained the while blood cells to recognise the cancer and fight it,” explained Mr French.

“Although I can’t be certain as to whether I received DC Vax or the placebo, I believe the treatment I received, along with remaining positive, saved my life.”

After suffering a seizure in his sleep, Mr French was referred for scans and told he had a grade-four glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain tumour in adults.

“The doctors told me in July that if I didn’t have the operation to get it removed, I would be dead before Christmas,” recalled the father-of-three.

“I was terrified. Getting wheeled down into surgery I didn’t know what might happen to my brain - what my memory would be like afterwards.”

After having the growth successfully removed, Mr French endured months of radiotherapy and chemotherapy before the experimental treatment began in 2016.

Mr French says he did not suffer any side-effects from the treatment and was even able to continue his work as the owner of a garage in Bexleyheath.

Seven years on and still in remission, Mr French’s case is a source of encouragement to scientists.

Professor Keyoumars Ashkan, consultant neurosurgeon at King’s College Hospital and European chief investigator of the clinical trial, said: “Immunotherapy is a very promising approach for treating cancer.

“The vaccine has been shown to prolong life, and interestingly so in patients traditionally considered to have poorer prognosis.

“I am optimistic we can build upon this going forward, investigating a combination of DCVax-®L with other emerging therapies for glioblastomas.

“Applying the same technology to develop treatments for other forms of brain tumours will be the natural next step."

The vaccine was trialled for eight years, and involved more than 300 patients from the UK, USA, Canada and Germany.

Of the patients treated with the vaccine, 13% survived for at least five years from diagnosis, compared to 5.7% in the control group, with the longest survivor surpassing eight years.

Mr French says the treatment worked so well, he was even able, in 2019, to run the Barcelona Marathon for the the Brain Tumour Charity.

He has taken a step back from his garage business, working just a few shifts a week to spend more time with his wife.

“My wife, Sue, found my journey with cancer very stressful," he said.

"It’s easier to be the patient than to be the other half because you know how you feel but everyone else has to worry about you.

“Next year we’re celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary with a cruise to the Caribbean.”