'Every day I fear my cancer will come back so vaccine offers hope'

A Blackpool man who beat head and neck cancer has welcomed a “potentially transformative” new vaccine trial being rolled out on the NHS across England.

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Chris Curtis, 67, from Blackpool, was diagnosed with HPV-related head and neck cancer in 2011.

Now in recovery, he has devoted his life to supporting others by founding The Swallows Head and Neck Cancer Support Group.

He says the latest vaccine trial - which uses cutting-edge mRNA technology to train the immune system to recognise and fight cancercould be “groundbreaking” for patients and their families.

“As a survivor of HPV-related head and neck cancer, I know firsthand the physical, emotional, and psychological toll this disease takes not just on the patient, but on the entire support system around them,” he said.

“With this aggressive cancer you live in the fear of recurrence every day, so anything that could help control the disease or give people peace of mind is groundbreaking.

“It'll allow people to get on with their lives and move forward.”

The new clinical trial, known as AHEAD-MERIT (BNT113), is part of a national push by NHS England to fast-track access to cancer vaccines.