A MAN from Middlewich has overcome a one-in-a-million rare form of cancer for the third time and claims his passion for running is one of the reasons he is still alive.


Dad-of-three Steve Treweeks, 48, from Middlewich, suffered from a rare form of abdominal cancer called pseudomyxoma peritonei or PMP, and has recently beaten the disease for the third time in seven years.


Steve was diagnosed with PMP in 2007 on the day before his 41st birthday and had to undergo a major seven-and-a-half hour operation.


Despite the treatment being successful, the cancer returned more aggressively and after being given the all clear again, the PMP came back for a third time.


Steve is now cancer-free for a third time and is looking forward to continuing his hobby of running.
Steve said: “When you’re faced with something like cancer, you can lie down and die, or stand up and fight, and I don’t do lying down.”


The rare cancer affects just one or two people in a million and doctors at the Christie Hospital in Manchester have told Steve that the chances of three cancer diagnoses like he’s had are one in 25 million.


Steve is a passionate runner and now believes his determination to run is one of the things that keeps him alive.


Steve added: “I run to stay healthy and to keep this nasty disease at bay, and I run to support The Christie, which has helped keep me alive for so long against all the odds.


“In 2007 I was given an 80 per cent chance of living 10 years and that was seven years ago so I’m making the most of the time I have.”


Since being diagnosed with cancer seven years ago, he has run seven marathons, two half marathons, six 10k runs and several 5k runs to raise more than £5,300 for The Christie.


The Middlewich man even ran the London Marathon this year, just 14 weeks after having had surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his lung, completing the marathon in 4hrs15mins.


Steve has now had his belly button removed in an effort to prevent the disease from returning, causing his family to give him the nickname ‘Bumper’, after the orange belly button-less Jelly Baby.