Press release posted 5 March 2026
A retired nurse from Hollinwood, Oldham, is benefiting from a new way of getting lifesaving cancer treatment that takes minutes rather than hours.
Rosemary Andrew was diagnosed with renal cell cancer in June 2022 after experiencing blood in her urine, weight loss and tiredness. Following tests and scans, she had surgery to remove a kidney in August 2022 before being referred to The Christie 2 months later.
The Christie started Rosemary on a combination of immunotherapy drugs - ipilimumab and nivolumab, followed by ongoing maintenance with nivolumab since March 2023. At that time, nivolumab was given as an intravenous infusion through a drip into a vein, taking at least an hour.
But since November 2025, Rosemary has been able to have the treatment as a quick under-the-skin injection at Dr Kershaw’s Hospice in Royton, which she describes as more relaxed and comfortable than a hospital. Rosemary’s treatment visit now takes around 10 minutes.
“It’s faster and more convenient,” she says. “The visit to Dr Kershaw’s Hospice takes around 20 minutes compared with a 2-hour trip to The Christie in Withington. It means less time sitting in a clinical setting and more time getting on with normal life.”
Rosemary, a widow with 2 daughters, 3 granddaughters, and 3 great-granddaughters, says anything that makes treatment easier is important. “It gives me more time to live my life, doing the things I relish, including volunteering at the Age UK charity shop in Oldham, reading, watching football and spending time with my family.”
“When I was first diagnosed my prognosis was bleak, so to be here now and living my life means everything. I feel very lucky to be under the care of The Christie. From the beginning, everyone there - medical, nursing and clerical - has been helpful and put me at ease, at what is a frightening time.
“It gives me confidence knowing that The Christie is a world leader in cancer care and research.”
Rosemary’s most recent scan in January 2026 showed no measurable disease. She feels well and continues to respond to treatment, with no adverse effects.
Immunotherapy medicines such as nivolumab help the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. They are used to treat a range of cancers, including kidney cancer, and have transformed outcomes for many patients in recent years. An under-the-skin injection of nivolumab can be given in around 3 to 5 minutes compared with up to an hour for an intravenous infusion.
As more people are diagnosed with cancer, the quicker administration of nivolumab treatments for certain patients frees up capacity so that The Christie can treat more patients overall.
Clinical teams at The Christie carefully assess which patients are suitable for the injection. For many, it offers a more convenient way to receive the same medicine without changing their wider treatment plan.
The lead nurse for systemic anti-cancer treatments at The Christie, Gemma Jones, said: “It is always heartwarming to hear how we have been able to make a difference to the lives of patients like Rosemary. We know that patients value having their treatments closer to home, and offering injectable nivolumab, a treatment that takes just minutes, will be a game-changer for many patients who rely on this drug.
“Through the largest chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatment centre in the UK at our Withington site, a network of 14 local treatment centres throughout Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Derbyshire, and treatments in patients’ homes, our team administer around 115,000 treatments each year."