Help Clare get to Germany for targeted cancer treatment
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For those following my journey, I have Stage 4 Colon Cancer with mets to my lung and liver and have been fighting this ugly disease since January 2021. You may know that last year I decided to combine my NHS treatment with a my own protocol inspired by Scott Davis's story, a fellow cancer fighter. I was hoping to update you with good news from my results earlier this month. Unfortunately, despite all our efforts, various surgeries and following my protocol of alternative treatment, I have been unable to keep the cancer stable. I was hoping following the surgeries to my liver before Christmas, my lung in February, as well as following the protocol, would be enough to maintain the cancer.
My latest scan shows the cancer is on the move again. At my latest oncology appointment, I was looking for hope and some encouraging proposals to help address the relentless spread. With the cancer now spreading further in my lung and two new cancerous nodes in my stomach cavity near my sternum. I feel like I’m back to square one.
What is worse, is that they won’t go near these tumours because the cancer is not stable. They are not sure they can even access the ones in my stomach. The only offer is chemotherapy to ‘maintain’ the cancer, not to attack it. I came out of that meeting dumbfounded. Here I am feeling fighting fit, improving my walking, swimming and getting my life back on track.
I’m left asking the questions, “how is this happening? They must have someone else’s scan results not mine?!” I was hoping to be told the treatment had worked!! Instead, I had to share the bad news with my family that it hasn’t. To watch their faces drop and the pain in their eyes as they try to be strong for me, is truly the hardest thing ever!!
I do believe my protocol is working, but at a slower pace due to me reducing the dosage following my liver operation to not overload the organ whilst it recovered. I believe the cancer could have spread quicker without it. But, I also feel like my immune system needs a kick start to stop these cells from mutating with a much more personal attack. But how? I got turned down for immunotherapy a couple of years ago due to no match.
I started to have a look at treatments outside of the UK. I have been reading about Dendritic Cell Therapy (DCT) treatments in Germany. I have been in contact with two clinics in Munich and Frankfurt. They present the opportunity of being able to stop the metastasis and train my immune system to recognise cancer cells and kill them using my own dendritic cells and create a memory to remember this recognition in the future.
It wouldn’t completely rid me of the tumours, but it would stop the spread and give me more time without the extremely damaging side effects of the chemo treatment I am being offered in the UK. The clinics have since reviewed my scans and medical records. They said they could actually eradicate these tumours through a treatment called TACE (trans arterial chemoembolization). In the UK this type of treatment is only available for the treatment of the liver. This treatment targets each tumour individually, and cuts off the blood vessel supply that is feeding them. Injecting into these vessels a high intensity chemo drug and cauterising the blood vessels so they cannot be used again to feed them. This would kill off the tumour completely and stop it from regrowth. Not only is this a direct targeted treatment. The side effects are a lot less, as the chemo is not being pumped all around the body, just kept local to the area, minimising side effects massively, but with far more significant success. They have said I am suitable for this treatment and suggested combining the two treatments, TACE and DCT, which could potentially get me into remission.
Well this has put a spanner in the works!! But in a positive way! My family and I have been rallying round, reaching into our savings and the holiday fund raised by from Kim, to pay for the DCT. But now with the combined treatment plan starting with TACE, it leaves me a little short to start the first part of the treatment. They have advised I need to start ASAP before any further spread.
The consultant that would be overseeing my treatment is leading research Professor Thomas Vogl. He is one of the most sought-after specialists in interventional radiology throughout Europe. He is also Director of the Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology of the University Hospital Frankfurt.
The whole treatment plan will cost around £39,850. Yep, it truly is a huge amount of money. We have managed to raise £18,500 to date, which is almost enough to start the first treatment costing £21,800.
So here I am. I really didn’t want to be doing this after such generosity from the fundraising last year which helped me keep to the protocol. You all just blew me away with such kindness. I really didn’t think I’d have to reach out again, especially so soon. But time is not on my side, and I need to start raising funds so I can start the first treatment. There will be some fundraising events in the pipeline early in the summer, I heard it is going to involve some firefighters, so watch this space ;). But for now, I am reaching out for any support to get me out to Germany and start kicking the shit out of this disease. I am not ready to roll over and accept this is it for me. Any support would mean so much. I appreciate so many have already donated in the past, so if you could spare a minute to share this page that would mean the world! I'm still in fight mode and right now I'm laying out every weapon I have. I’ll be dammed if I'll let cancer win!!!
Fundraising team (2)
Clare Downes
Organizer
England
Dan Frost
Team member