We travelled over to Fairfax, District of Columbia, last year to interview Debbie Rea and her husband, Steve, about her cancer treatment. We also interviewed her oncologist, Dr Alex Spira. Debbie’s frank interview sheds light on the revolution in genomic profiling and targeted immunotherapy for rare cancers.

Just before the recent tragedy in Beirut we travelled to Lebanon to meet and film an interview with Jamal Tamer and young chef who was recovering from a brain tumour. This brave and resilient young man proved to be an inspiration. Dr Hasem Assi, his doctor at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, pulled out all the stops to ensure that Jamal received the very best medical care any where in the world.

We were asked by our communications agency client to to produce a educational video for nutrition healthcare professional on the science fo taste. The video included a 3D sequence explaining the anatomy of the nose and mouth and how the senses transmitted the sensation of small and taste to the olfactory area of the brain. The video also featured interviews with scientists and psychologists on the role taste plays on the enjoyment of food and beverages.

What a wonderful story. Ruby Thackeray has battled against cancer all her young life with the support her close family. Her doctor Luke Maese saw the opportunity to enrol her in a trial of an experimental treatment when all hope looked to be lost. This treatment was based on establishing the development of Ruby’s cancer was driven by a rare gene defect. Once the gene defect was identified, it increased the likelihood that the targeted treatment would be a success.

Our client wanted to explain the novel mode of action of an oral form of 5 Flourouracil in the treatment of colon cancer. We started from scratch looking at the best way to illustrate how the new compound worked at a molecular level. Conversations with specialist researchers, and checking molecular photography references, meant that we could be confident that our representations were accurate.

When Rick and Debra were looking for last chance options to treat Debra’s cancer it was persistence along that bore fruit. Long hours searching on the internet for information on the most up to date research being undertaken in Debra’s rare cancer finally paid off when Rick discovered an international clinical trial seeking to test a brand new treatment modality. It proved to be a life saver and Rick and Debra have much to be thankful for.

When were asked by a long-standing client to devise a communication tool that explained succinctly all the elements of their enteral feed home delivery and support service. We suggested a clear and simple animation. The clean lines seamless transitions of the animation and clear, plain english script delivered the messages that the client wanted to communicate.

Travelling to a small town in southern Serbia to film an interview with Mirko Orkić turned into something of an adventure when we realised that the main road to the town from the airport at Belgrade was closed for repairs and we had to follow a significant detour! When we finally met up with Mirko we were charmed by a young man who had risen to the challenges that confronted him throughout his life. Being born with Haemophilia A in a fledgling country often meant doing without. However, despite the challenges Mirko faces he remains optimistic about his life now and in the future

Kathleen’s lymphoma came completely out the blue. Her job as a flautist in the BBC’s Symphony Orchestra left little time for illness and she was puzzled when she began to experience symptoms. Thankfully her illness was discovered early enough for her first line treatment to bring a full remission. For Kathleen, and patients like her, long remission without symptoms is the holy grail and she welcomes the ongoing research into new and improved therapies promising more durable remission.

Covering the American Society of Hematology meeting in Chicago for Roche pharmaceuticals meant long days covering events and recording multiple interviews. In addition to a full working schedule the inclusion of a weekend rest day meant we had the chance to look around this great city.

Creating a green-screen studio over the course of a morning in the ballroom of a Windsor hotel in order to be ready for an afternoon medical chat show was an interesting challenge. This multi-camera shoot threw up lots of logistical challenges but at least we were lucky that the queen wasn’t in residence at Windsor Castle that day!

There are occasions when the subject and topic call for an intimate approach. Our interview with Ike - a breast cancer survivor - was one such occasion. This two- camera shoot - where we used a special mirrored image technique to allow Ike to address the interviewee through the camera lens - was the perfect way to capture Ike’s revealing insights into how she dealt with the diagnosis and treatment of her cancer.