Jack Taylor was just 20 years old when he noticed blood in his urine. A month later, he was diagnosed with high-risk bladder cancer – a shock no young person expects. 

“I was in disbelief. It’s the last thing you expect as a 20-year-old. I was uncertain about the future and what life would look like,” he says. 

Bladder cancer is the 11th most common cancer in Australia, and the treatment Jack needed, the immune therapy Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), has been in global shortage for more than a decade. Many patients miss out on what doctors consider the gold-standard option. 

The BCG+MM trial, led by Professor Dickon Hayne tested adding the drug mitomycin (MM) to standard BCG treatment. The combination reduced the required BCG dose by 40 per cent and showed improved tolerability, allowing more patients to complete treatment. 

“In a time of global BCG shortages, adopting this regimen means we can treat more patients than we could before,” says Professor Hayne. 

For Jack, knowing his treatment was backed by strong research was reassuring. “It’s been great to hear the trial has had such fantastic results, and will hopefully go on to help so many other people,” he says. “It’s always good to have more choice.”

Since finishing treatment, Jack has run his first marathon, spent a month hiking in New Zealand, completed a clinical placement in Austria, and is now about to graduate from medical school.

These days, Jack worries less about the small things. He feels grateful for the people around him – and optimistic about the road ahead.

“My friends, family, and staying active have helped me keep going,” he says. “My experience with cancer intersected with my studies in a way that really reaffirmed my choices. I feel firmly that I’m on the right path.”

And as he looks toward the future, Jack feels steady. “Knowing that my treatment has put me in the best position moving forward makes me confident,” he says. “No matter what happens, I know I’ll be in great hands.”