Cancer drug can extend grandma's life - if she moves to Scotland

A brave gran battling breast cancer for more than a decade is facing the heart-wrenching prospect of moving hundreds of miles to for access to a drug that could save her life. Beverley Angell, 68, is currently weighing up the drastic option of relocating from her London home all the way to Scotland because the drug Enhurtu for HER2-low is not available on England's .

The drug comes with a hefty price tag if done privately, costing £8,000 every session, and with Beverley requiring treatment every three weeks indefinitely until it takes effect, affording it isn't an option without a millionaire's bank balance, she said. The retired interior designer admitted: "I need to extend my life a bit longer - I'm not ready. Nick and I had just got to the age where the boys are not depending on us."

Looking forward to spending cherished time with her husband Nick, 68, who ran a recording studio, Beverley's dreams were crushed when diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. She lamented the devastating impact of the illness, saying: "We thought 'it's our time'. We were so looking forward to that time together. It's such a blow.

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"This is my situation - I might have to relocate to Scotland. I'm going to have to do it - it's £8,000 every three weeks - who can afford it unless you're a millionaire?" Beverley first knew something was wrong when she found a lump on her left breast in 2012, leading to a lumpectomy. After remaining vigilant post-treatment, she was dealt another blow in 2014 when her cancer made a comeback.

Beverley, who underwent a mastectomy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, enjoyed a decade free from cancer. She said: "I never thought about cancer again."

However, during a routine check-up at Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith in December 2023, doctors found cancerous lumps. After surgery and further chemotherapy, Beverley expressed her shock: "I was devastated. It was a massive shock. I felt angry for being so naïve that it couldn't come back."

Despite initially recovering, Beverley's health took a turn when she started feeling breathless with simple activities. A grim diagnosis came in March 2024; stage 4 breast cancer had invaded her lungs, bowel, and kidneys. Since then, hospital visits have become a part of her life.

She explained the nature of her condition: "I don't have physical tumours. I have cancer cells floating around. My tummy fills up with the fluid and I have to go back and forth to have my stomach drained."

After her chemotherapy ceased to be effective in January, Beverley sought a second opinion. She learned about Enhertu, a drug that could prolong her life, yet it wasn't approved by NICE in March 2024, making it unavailable through NHS England—though it was approved in Scotland as of December 2023.

Reflecting on her situation, Beverley said: "It's ironic. I just wanted that drug so badly. Maybe they feel there is no hope for me, so why invest in someone who is going to die?"

Beverley said relocating felt like her only option: "We're happy to give it a go to try to save my life. It's traumatic - it takes me away from my family."

While preparing for the potential move, Beverley and her loved ones have been actively fundraising to afford private treatment. She shared her gratitude: "The generosity has been overwhelming."

In addition to her personal fight, Beverley is championing a campaign by Breast Cancer Now, advocating for the drug Enhertu to be accessible via NHS England.

Reflecting on the importance of time with her loved ones, Beverley remarked: "Even if I get an extra two to three years. We have such a close knit family - my boys adore me."

Helen Knight, NICE's director of medicines evaluation, said: "As we've always made clear, the fastest and only guaranteed way to get medicines like Enhertu to the patients who need them is for companies to offer a fair price. We are deeply disappointed that we are unable to recommend Enhertu for use in the NHS for advanced HER2-low breast cancer, which breaks a sequence of 21 positive breast cancer recommendations over the last six years.

"NICE and NHS England offered as much flexibility as possible, but the companies did not put forward a new price, so we have no choice but to publish our final decision, which is not to recommend the medicine in this group of patients. I would like to thank the breast cancer community for their hard work on this issue and I am sorry we do not have better news.

"We make independent decisions in our role to make sure the public gets the best value from the finite resources available to the NHS. As no positive change to the price was offered, NICE has no option but to issue negative final guidance."

A fundraiser has been set up on GoFundMe to support Beverley. Additionally, a petition can be found on the Breast Cancer Now website.