Father given just months to live is now cancer-free after ‘world-first’ operation

A father-of-two is celebrating being cancer-free following a “world-first” operation.

Ivan Dagg, 53, from Hull, East Yorkshire, was given just months to live and a 6% chance of survival with chemotherapy treatment.

After losing weight and feeling constantly exhausted in 2013, he was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer.

His health deteriorated further and the cancer spread to his liver.

Despite multiple tumour removals and resections, the inspection engineer was still losing his fight with cancer.

But last January, Mr Dagg underwent his final high-risk surgery at Spire Leeds Hospital which was hailed a “world-first” by doctors.

It was only possible after medics found he had grown a new vein in his liver, opening up a new and previously unknown avenue to recovery for others with a similar condition. His surgery was carried out by Professor Peter Lodge.

“The last few years have been a rollercoaster,” said Mr Dagg. “I’m finally feeling positive about my future.

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“I woke up after surgery and Professor Lodge told me he had been able to remove the tumour. That was fantastic to hear.

“Now I’m back at work and looking forward to the future with my family.

“Nobody knows what’s going to happen in the future but I feel very lucky. There could have been a very different outcome.”

Professor Lodge described the surgery as “very high risk”.

He added: “This is a brand-new liver surgery operation, truly a world-first.

“During Ivan’s three previous operations I had to remove major blood vessels called hepatic veins.

“The new tumour was involving all of the remaining hepatic veins. These major veins drain blood out of the liver and are essential for survival.

“I did not think that the situation was operable initially, but I saw that Ivan had grown a new vein in the part of the liver that had regenerated following the previous liver resection operations.

“Things went well so we were able to remove the tumour successfully along with the major hepatic veins, leaving Ivan’s liver surviving on only the new vein.

“If he had not grown a new vein then I would not have been able to do the surgery. This is a new avenue for developing new liver operations.

“There is still a lot we don’t know about how the liver regenerates after liver surgery; Ivan’s case demonstrates how we must be more imaginative and strive to improve outcomes as much as we can.

“Without surgery, Ivan would have been faced with having only a few months to live.

“I think that chemotherapy may have given him a few extra months but that’s all. It’s still early days but I’m very pleased with Ivan’s progress.”