Woman spent £20,000 on cancer treatment abroad as it's not available on the NHS
A woman spent £20,000 on private cancer treatment in Germany after NHS doctors told her she would have just 18 months to two years to live.
Catherine 'Cat' Mackay, 62, was diagnosed with bowel cancer, which metastasized to the lungs and liver, in September 2020.
Immediately, with the help of her husband Darren, she began searching for alternative treatments not just in the UK but also abroad.
Her friends helped her raise money to allow her to travel to Frankfurt in Germany where she received cancer treatment at a leading research professor's clinic, reports Wales Online.
She said: "Initially, I was told they could do nothing at all. It was a bit of a shock to me and my husband. But being the person that I am - being told that I had 18 months to two years to live, I sought out another consultant at another hospital."
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Cat with her husband Darren (Cat Mackay)
Cat was given 18 months to two years to live (Cat Mackay)Cat raised money to get additional drug chemotherapy called Avastin, which is not available for bowel cancer patients on the NHS.
However, after taking Avastin for a year - during which her tumour stabilised - she was told that the therapy was no longer working.
It was at that moment that Cat and her husband decided to look for alternative treatment outside of the UK.
They found a leading research professor called Professor Thomas Vogl at Frankfurt University Hospital in Germany that was able to offer a cancer treatment called trans arterial chemoembolisation.
Trans arterial chemoembolisation or TACE places chemotherapy and synthetic materials called embolic agents into a blood vessel feeding a cancerous tumour to cut off the tumour's blood supply and trap the chemotherapy within the tumour.
It is most often used to treat liver cancer but may also be used in patients whose cancer has spread to other areas of the body. In the UK however, chemoembolisation is only used to treat tumours in the liver.
Cat said she has spent around £30k for treatment and care outside the NHS (Cat Mackay)
Cat with her grandson Calum (Cat Mackay)Cat said there was a "phenomenal difference" between the care and treatment she received in Germany in comparison to what she received back home. Cat said: "We rang Professor Vogl's secretary, he rang me the same day. He was a lovely chap and offered me an appointment immediately. We still had money in the funds at this point, and we went over.
"He sat me down, he told me more about my cancer than I had known since I had been diagnosed - no one had explained anything to me. He did an MRI and a scan, sat me down and showed me everything.
“He showed me where he was going to treat first, you’re awake for the whole procedure - you watch it all, you have another scan afterwards to check everything, and then you go back in and see what has been done. He said that he could potentially extend my life with quality significantly.
"There was a phenomenal difference between what I received here in the UK and what I got in Germany. I was blown away by the treatment I got over there. The process that I was going through, as a patient overseas for this, was straightforward. The attitude of staff, the speed, the communication process they have over there is symbiotic."
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While also receiving treatment at the Velindre Cancer Centre in Cardiff, Cat has sought treatment in Frankfurt five times by now. And although she feels "absolutely amazing" about the positive progress she has made under Professor Vogl's care, she said she is concerned about her future.
"It feels like I am firefighting because I'm here in the UK," she said. "I need that treatment and support here, but I can't get it. Sometimes when I go to chemotherapy, I look around the wards and see people are already giving up before they have started the fight. I say to myself, some of these people could be helped.
"I am one of so many people in this position and I don’t feel like it’s highlighted enough. There are thousands of people out there that shouldn’t be dying or should have their life prolonged, and I’m one of them. I'm 62 and I want to live. I'm not ready to go and I'm fighting for my life in what should be one of the richest countries in the world."
Cat is now looking to raise money for her sixth treatment of trans arterial chemoembolisation in Germany. Her former colleagues are walking the Cambrian Way from Cardiff to Conwy over the next 27 weekends in an attempt to raise money and support her.
So far, Cat has spent £29,420 on cancer treatment outside the NHS. The Avastin drug amounted to £9,420 for 12 months, while the five trips to Germany, which included travel, accommodation and treatment, has come to a total of £20,000.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "We are unable to comment on individual cases. We expect the NHS in Wales to deliver evidence-based treatments that have been recommended by professional bodies following an assessment of their clinical and cost-effectiveness.
"This ensures NHS funding is used in a way that achieves the greatest possible health gain for the people of Wales. We are investing heavily in cancer services to improve early detection and provide rapid access to investigation, treatment and high-quality care."
You can donate to the fundraiser here.
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