Katikati cancer dad Roy Nugter’s Keytruda journey paused after brain tumour found

A Katikati father’s incredible journey with the “miracle drug” Keytruda has stalled after doctors discovered he had another tumour.

But Roy Nugter remains positive.

“It’s not a problem. It’s just slowing things down a bit,” he said.

Nugter, 60, has been battling a rare cancer since 2018.

The Katikati man was diagnosed with Stage 4 squamous cell carcinoma of the lungs, aged 55. It’s a rare cancer that spread to other parts of his body, creating tumours in his brain, and near his spinal cord and trachea.

Doctors initially gave him less than a year, without treatment, to live, or one to three years with chemotherapy.

When the chemotherapy finally stopped working, Roy and his family set out to try “miracle” drug Keytruda, but found its $100,000 price tag for a full course out of reach.

Pharmac funds Keytruda – a medicine that uses a person’s immune system to detect and destroy cancer cells – for some cancers, within certain eligibility criteria. Some skin and lung cancers are included, but not the type Nugter has.

Through the kindness of strangers via a Givealittle page , garage sales, leaflet drops and the efforts of wife Debbie, son Kobie and a network of friends - they finally had enough money for Nugter to start Keytruda treatment in July.

The effects were life-changing and “incredible”, he said.

In addition to the tumours shrinking, Nugter lost weight, regained his hair and had more energy than before.

However, the Keytruda treatment had to be paused when, in December, doctors “found another brain tumour”, he said.

Roy Nugter and son Kobie pictured in May, 2023, before he began Keytruda treatment. Photo / Alex Cairns

“They put me on steroids, and I can’t have Keytruda while I have steroids.”

Nugter was confident he would overcome the tumour and be able to have Keytruda again, once given approval from doctors.

The last brain tumour Nutger had was at the beginning of 2023 but, through steroid treatment, the tumour shrunk.

The latest tumour was new.

“It’s just a setback. I just have to wait.”

And he has been doing so by enjoying his summer with his family. Christmas was particularly special, as it was a day Nugter doubted he’d live long enough to see. It was also the first without his father-in-law, David “Poppa” Hart, who was killed on January 2, 2023, in a State Highway 2 crash near Athenree. Nugter’s mother-in-law was also critically injured.

“We had a quiet Christmas, just with family, but it was good. We did a lot of things for Kobie. It’s not really about us.”

Nugter received a present from his mother-in-law enabling him to experience go-karting with Kobie, which was “something we’ve always wanted to do”.

The family of four also spent time in New Plymouth before returning home to celebrate Nugter’s belated 60th birthday.

Roy Nugter pictured in December after several rounds of Keytruda treatment, made possible by people's donations. Photo / Alex Cairns

Nugter’s birthday is on January 3 and he turned 61 this year.

Last year, on his 60th, the family was reeling from the loss of Hart and chose to celebrate the milestone a year later instead.

“It was wonderful,” Nugter said.

Nugter said he still needed to raise nearly $8000 to continue the Keytruda treatment once the doctors indicated he could do so. He planned to hold another garage sale and small gala or fete.

“We are still dropping out the leaflets. Hopefully that, with the garage sale, should get us close enough.”

Kiri Gillespie is an assistant news director and a senior journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, specialising in local politics and city issues. She was a finalist for the Voyager Media Awards Regional Journalist of the Year in 2021.