I thought I just had a tummy ache – now i've been given and death sentence & I’m fighting for more time with my girl | The Sun
A SINGLE mother is raising money for alternative cancer treatment in a bid to add just weeks to her life and spend time with her young daughter.
Bank manager, Rebecca Atton, 41, from Southend, Essex was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in December last year.
Since then, she has endured six rounds of gruelling chemotherapy – all of which have failed to beat the cancer.
However, she is still hoping to prolong her life so she can spend more time with her daughter, Ava.
She told the Mail she was "devastated" at the thought of leaving the 10-year-old behind.
In last bid to add a few months onto her life, Rebecca wants to trya new cancer drug, not yet available on the NHS named Avastin .
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Avastin is licensed drug prescribed in the UK to treat some types of cancer that have spread from where they first started.
The potentially life-extending treatment will cost Rebecca £3497 per month.
Experts think the drug might give Rebecca around four weeks of extra time with her kid.
Speaking about her prognosis on her fundraising page, and about why she is raising money for alternative therapies, Rebecca said: 'Let me be clear, I have less than a 10 per cent chance of living for five years.
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'I am fully aware treatment will not cure me – however, it could extend my life.
In a video, posted on the mum's Youtube channel this month, she explained the cancer had spread to her liver, lymph nodes and stomach lining.
"I've heard some good stories about [Avastin] and who knows, it could be the drug that works for me considering the others haven't so far," she said.
What are the risk factors of bowel cancer?
You’re at greater risk of bowel cancer if you have one or more of the following risk factors:
- you're aged over 50
- you have a strong family history of the disease
- a history of non-cancerous growths, known as polyps, in your bowel
- long-term inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
- type 2 diabetes
- an unhealthy lifestyle – you smoke, are overweight or obese and do not get enough exercise
Alongside chemo, Rebecca currently taking oxycontin, a powerful painkiller much stronger than morphine, to deal with the agonising pain she suffers on a daily basis.
Rebecca's fundraising page page has so far raised over £26,000 of its £100,000 target.
The Sun launched the No Time 2 Lose campaign in April 2018 – to call on the Government to lower the screening age to 50 and raise symptom awareness.
As a result people in their 50s started to be invited for screening last year.
What are the first symptoms of bowel cancer?
Being aware of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, spotting any changes and going to your doctor is vital.
If you notice any of the signs, don't be embarrassed and make sure you speak to your GP.
The five red-flag symptoms of bowel cancer include:
- Bleeding from the back passage, or blood in your poo
- A change in your normal toilet habits – going more frequently for example
- Pain or a lump in your tummy
- Extreme tiredness
- Losing weight
Tumours in the bowel typically bleed, which can cause a shortage of red blood cells, known as anaemia. It can cause tiredness and sometimes breathlessness.
In some cases bowel cancer can block the bowel, this is known as a bowel obstruction.
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Other signs of bowel cancer include:
- Gripping pains in the abdomen
- Feeling bloated
- Constipation and being unable to pass wind
- Being sick
- Feeling like you need to strain – like doing a number two – but after you've been to the loo
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