A mum from Manchester who was told she only had months to live has now been given the breast cancer all-clear after a groundbreaking drug trial.
51-year-old Jasmin David from Fallowfield was a previously fit and healthy mother of two grown-up children, and was working as a clinical lead at a care home for the elderly, before she discovered that she had an aggressive triple negative form of breast cancer in November 2017 after finding a lump above the nipple.
Following her diagnosis, Jasmin then underwent six months of chemotherapy and a mastectomy in April 2018, followed by 15 cycles of radiotherapy.
These treatments successfully cleared her body of cancer, but sadly, back in October 2019, the cancer returned, and scans showed multiple lesions throughout her body meaning she had a poor prognosis.
Jasmin then discovered that the cancer had unfortunately spread to the lungs, lymph nodes, and chest bone, and was given the devastating news that she had less than a year to live.
Two months later, and with no other options left, Jasmin was offered the opportunity to be part of research by participating in the first phase of a two-year groundbreaking clinical trial, which she accepted, and then in December 2019, began treatment at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Manchester Clinical Research Facility (CRF) at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester.
Jasmin David is receiving groundbreaking treatment at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester / Credit: The Christie NHS Foundation Trust
During the trial, Jasmin is given an experimental medicine combined with Atezolizumab – an immunotherapy drug administered intravenously – which she continues to have every three weeks.
Jasmin says she feels “reborn” after beginning the treatment trial.
And she’s now showing no evidence of the disease, and enjoying life with her husband David and children Ryan and Riona.
“I was 15 months down the line after my initial cancer treatment and had almost forgotten about it, but then the cancer returned,” Jasmin explained.
“When I was offered the trial, I didn’t know if it would work for me, but I thought that at least I could do something to help others and use my body for the next generation. At first I had many horrible side effects including headaches and spiking temperatures, so I was in hospital over Christmas and quite poorly – but then thankfully, I started to respond well to the treatment.
"I take each day as a blessing in my life." Jasmin was diagnosed with cancer and given less than a year to live. But she's now been told she's clear of the disease after taking part in a clinical trial.
By June 2021, scans showed no measurable cancer cells in Jasmin’s body and she was then declared cancer free, but will still remain on treatment until December 2023.
Professor Fiona Thistlethwaite, medical oncologist and clinical director of Manchester CRF at The Christie – who is leading on the study in the UK – said: “We are really pleased that Jasmin has had such a good outcome, and at The Christie, we are continually testing new drugs and therapies to see if they can benefit more people.”
Def Leppard announce HUGE arena gig in Manchester next year
Thomas Melia
English Glam Rock band Def Leppard have announced a brand new UK tour which features a stop in one of Manchester’s big arenas next year.
Known for hits like ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’, ‘Animal’, ‘Love Bites’ and more, Def Leppard are back on the road and they’re heading out on a UK tour.
The band has achieved worldwide acclaim since entering the rock scene with their first-ever single, ‘Wasted’, back in 1979, and their success resulted in getting inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
In 2023, Def Leppard teamed up with fellow metalheads Motley Crüe for the ultimate ‘Rock of Ages’, playing a spell-bounding gig at Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000 people.
The rock legends are continuing their career-highlight streak as now they’re about to play one of Manchester’s largest arenas, Co-op Live, sending 23,500 fans into ‘Hysteria’.
This upcoming Def Leppard UK tour sees the band making their way to Glasgow, Sheffield, London and Birmingham before visiting the music capital of the North.
The love for these rockers isn’t slowing down either, as their latest album ‘Drastic Symphonies’, a collaboration with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, scored Def Leppard their highest charting record in 32 years, debuting at number 4.
Fans will be over the moon to know that the five-piece visiting Co-op Live next year includes the same band lineup since 1992, with Joe Elliot, Rick Allen, Phil Collen, Rick Savage and Vivian Campbell playing out on the night.
The Rock Brigade will always make sure to remember Steve Clark, founding member and adorned- ‘Riffmaster’, and although the guitarist won’t be playing this innovative live music venue, fans will still give it their all for the current ‘Gods of War’.
These Sheffield-formed musicians have sold more than 110 million albums worldwide, so there will be no ‘Foolin’ around when it comes to screaming their lyrics at the top of your lungs next summer.
Def Leppard are coming to Co-op Live in Manchester on Monday 5 July, with tickets going on sale from 10am on Friday 5 September
Bolton man jailed for life after killing ‘vulnerable’ woman and hiding her body in his shed
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed for life after murdering a vulnerable woman and then proceeding to hide her body in a shed at his house in Bolton.
Christopher Barlow killed Mariann Borocz back in December 2024 after randomly meeting her at a shop and inviting her to his house, before killing her and then going on to dump her body in a locked shed in his garden.
55-year-old Mariann, who was originally from Hungary, was reported missing on Sunday 15 December having been last seen alive in the early hours of the previous day.
During the police search and investigation, CCTV showed Barlow following Mariann into a shop near his house and then back out again, and after Barlow was arrested on suspicion of assault on 23 December, officers found the keys to his shed – which is when they, sadly, discovered Mariann’s body.
Barlow was charged with murder, but the 63-year-old first denied this charge, and also denied any contact with Mariann.
The case was then handed over to Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Major Incident Team, led by Detective Chief Inspector Tony Platten.
#JAILED | This is the moment Christopher Barlow was arrested for the murder of Mariann Borocz.
We made extensive efforts to locate Mariann, and our thoughts continue to be with her family.
A three-week trial then began at Manchester Crown Court, and when forensic evidence linked Barlow to Mariann’s body, he then when on to admit during the trial that he had invited her into his house, and found her not breathing in his kitchen about 40 minutes later.
Despite maintaining he did dot murder her, the jury returned its guilty verdict after less than a day of deliberation.
Last week, Barlow was sentenced to life in prison and must serve a minimum term of 20 years behind bars.
Detective Sergeant Fiona Manning described this as a ‘harrowing’ investigation and subsequent trial for Mariann’s family.
“Barlow befriended Mariann and she believed she could trust him,” DS Manning said, “That could not have been further from reality.”
DS Manning then assured that GMP remains ‘steadfast’ in its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of women in Greater Manchester‘s communities, and will continue to work ‘tirelessly’ to uphold justice.
She concluded: “Women should be able to go out freely and without fear that something may happen to them.”
Emily Sergeant -
5th July 2022 
