Juliet De Nittis was told she had less than a year to live. Today – nearly seven years later, she’s cancer free and embracing a life she once feared she’d never see. 

On the eve of her daughter Darcy’s 16th birthday, Juliet was diagnosed with an aggressive form of kidney cancer that had already spread to her lungs. Doctors gave her just 8-24 months. 

“It was a shock,” Juliet says. “I wanted to live.” 

With no effective treatment available in 2019, her only hope was to join ANZUP’s UNISON clinical trial, which tested a new immunotherapy approach. Juliet received nivolumab – an immunotherapy treatment designed to help her immune system recognise and destroy cancer cells.

“I hoped the trial would give me enough time to reach Darcy’s 18th birthday – and if not, at least help others who came after me.” 

“Now, nearly seven years later, I’m still here. My expiry date has expired.” 

Life since then has been full of the things that matter most. She’s celebrated Darcy’s 18th and 21st birthdays, returned to concerts and theatre gigs, found love, gained a big, blended family, bought a home, and gone back to study. She’ll finish her Diploma of Counselling this December. 

“My life is filled with music, family, and joy. I’m so grateful for every ordinary, everyday moment.” 

Juliet now gives back as a proud member of ANZUP’s Consumer Advisory Panel, helping improve access to clinical trials and ensure patient voices shape research. 

“Being able to contribute, even in a small way, feels like a privilege. I’m here because research saved my life. I want every future patient to have the same chance.” 

Today, Juliet says she is “living with cancer, without fear” – words she once couldn’t imagine saying. 

“Fundraising and community support made my treatment possible. I’m living proof that research creates options where none existed. I have a future. And I’m excited about what comes next.”