Lynn Fortunelli's Cancer Treatment
Donation protected
My Amazing Mum Lynn Fortunelli has been given the devastating diagnosis after finding a lump in her neck that her cancer has returned for the 3rd time. The cancer has now spread to her lymph nodes with possible liver metastases and the NHS can only offer palliative care to try to contain the cancer for as long as possible. Mum is only 51 years of age, wife of 29 years and Mother of 3 and has so much to live for. She is always putting others first and running around for everyone else, so now we really want to make sure that we can take care of Mum in every way we can and get her the best treatment possible.
It has been a very tough couple of years for Mum and our family. She was first diagnosed with triple negative stage 3 breast cancer at the age of 47 in October 2011 after finding a small lump. She had a lumpectomy and received 5 weeks of radiotherapy ending in January 2012. At no point during this diagnosis were we told that Mum’s breast cancer type was one of the most aggressive forms of cancer.
In October 2014, Mum had a routine mammogram which came back clear, however a few weeks later she found another lump. After various tests, scans and weeks of waiting, we received the devastating news in December that her breast cancer had returned. We were also told that scans showed signs in her liver but after further scans and more weeks of waiting, we were told that Mum had received the incorrect diagnosis. In February – July 2015 Mum completed 7 out of 8 chemotherapy sessions. After experiencing very severe side effects, doctors realised that they had been giving her too strong a dose of the drug and agreed that she should not complete the 8th session. Later in July, Mum had a mastectomy and a biopsy showed that 11 out of 13 lymph nodes still tested positive for cancer cells. We asked for frequent scans to check for possible signs of recurrence and spreading however we were told we just had to ‘wait and look for symptoms’. September – October 2015, Mum received further radiotherapy sessions, however from August she had been complaining of pain and discomfort and believed the wound from her mastectomy was infected; but doctors ignored her concerns. It wasn’t until December after constant persisting from Mum and us, doctors listened to her worries and agreed to re-operate to remove the seroma and infection. From then, Mum’s scar has still not properly healed, her wound is appalling and it causes her daily discomfort.
In May 2016, our world was turned upside down once again when a lump in Mum’s neck was confirmed as cancer recurrence. When she first noticed the lump, she went to her GP, walk in clinic and A&E all of who had access to her medical records. She was sent away with a diagnosis of glandular fever and given antibiotics for an infection. It has now been over 10 weeks and she has still not received any treatment apart from 5 sessions of radiotherapy to the neck area. We have asked for the lump to be operated on and removed but have been told this can’t be done. The only treatment the NHS can offer her is chemotherapy which is palliative care with no cure, but will aim to contain the cancer as long as possible with severe side effects. They have also discussed the possibility of Mum going on a clinical trial for the new drug ‘immunotherapy’ and after reading good things about the drug, she was willing to take part. But after further research into the terms of the study, there is only a 50/50 chance of her actually receiving the drug during the trial (which is chosen by computer). We won’t find out these results/conditions until the end of the study of which the length of time is indefinite. If she refuses the trial, the chemotherapy drug that she has been offered is not strong enough to give us the outcome we are hoping for.
However we have been doing some extensive research into alternative types of treatments and there is some hope in this new class of cancer treatment ‘immunotherapy’ (http://www.cancerresearch.org/cancer-immunotherapy). This is a type of cancer treatment designed to boost the body's natural defences to fight the cancer. Some types of immunotherapy enable a stronger immune response, while others teach your immune system what cancer looks like so that your immune system can hunt down cancer cells and provide long-term protection. Both chemotherapy and immunotherapy eliminate cancer cells, but while chemo targets tumors, immunotherapy targets the immune system and empowers your own body to destroy tumors, with fewer side effects and therefore a better quality of life. In conjunction with other alternative treatments, we believe that this is the treatment Mum needs to beat this horrible disease and potentially be cancer-free.
Although the NHS can potentially offer this drug as part of a clinical trial, we don’t want to take the 50% risk that Mum will not receive the drug and potentially waste valuable time, therefore we are looking into private clinics that can guarantee she receives this treatment. The drug is not yet approved in the UK for Mum’s type of cancer so we are finding it difficult to find a clinic here that can help us.
However we have heard of cancer treatment facility in Germany, The Hallwang Clinic, who specialises in more advanced treatments which are not yet available in the UK. They can combine a form of the immunotherapy drug with other leading cancer treatments and have achieved amazing results and success stories. Having had an initial telephone consultation with the Medical Director at the clinic, he remained positive and confirmed that they can treat Mum believing they can have success with her current condition. Hearing this news is amazing and we are hopeful that by receiving this treatment, Mum will get her complete and long lasting remission.
But this promising treatment comes at a cost. The clinic will begin to design an individual treatment plan for Mum; the first consultation and testing/scans alone are costing around £13,000 with each further treatment costing £10,000 a time. We will of course do everything we can to pay for some of Mum’s treatment ourselves; however we will be unable to cover the full cost. Which is why we have set up this fundraising page to see if we can raise enough funds and spread the cost of this treatment amongst kind people who are willing and able to contribute to this cause. We would be forever grateful for any donations no matter how small to help us raise as much as possible, so that we can get Mum to Germany and started on the best possible treatment.
Mum is a huge inspiration to me, her family and friends and to all fighting this disease; she has been so amazingly strong over the past few years, this last year especially and continues to fight this horrible disease again and again. With so many friends and family beside her she has so much to live for, places to see and memories to make. We will continue to fight alongside her and do everything we can to get her the treatment she deserves to beat cancer.
Thank you to everyone who has read Mum’s story. Please share with your family and friends and spread her story far and wide, and if anyone has any advice or contacts that may be able to help, we would love to hear from you. If you can help in any way you can we will be forever grateful for any donations received.
Thank you again.
Sophie Fortunelli (Lynn’s Daughter)
x
It has been a very tough couple of years for Mum and our family. She was first diagnosed with triple negative stage 3 breast cancer at the age of 47 in October 2011 after finding a small lump. She had a lumpectomy and received 5 weeks of radiotherapy ending in January 2012. At no point during this diagnosis were we told that Mum’s breast cancer type was one of the most aggressive forms of cancer.
In October 2014, Mum had a routine mammogram which came back clear, however a few weeks later she found another lump. After various tests, scans and weeks of waiting, we received the devastating news in December that her breast cancer had returned. We were also told that scans showed signs in her liver but after further scans and more weeks of waiting, we were told that Mum had received the incorrect diagnosis. In February – July 2015 Mum completed 7 out of 8 chemotherapy sessions. After experiencing very severe side effects, doctors realised that they had been giving her too strong a dose of the drug and agreed that she should not complete the 8th session. Later in July, Mum had a mastectomy and a biopsy showed that 11 out of 13 lymph nodes still tested positive for cancer cells. We asked for frequent scans to check for possible signs of recurrence and spreading however we were told we just had to ‘wait and look for symptoms’. September – October 2015, Mum received further radiotherapy sessions, however from August she had been complaining of pain and discomfort and believed the wound from her mastectomy was infected; but doctors ignored her concerns. It wasn’t until December after constant persisting from Mum and us, doctors listened to her worries and agreed to re-operate to remove the seroma and infection. From then, Mum’s scar has still not properly healed, her wound is appalling and it causes her daily discomfort.
In May 2016, our world was turned upside down once again when a lump in Mum’s neck was confirmed as cancer recurrence. When she first noticed the lump, she went to her GP, walk in clinic and A&E all of who had access to her medical records. She was sent away with a diagnosis of glandular fever and given antibiotics for an infection. It has now been over 10 weeks and she has still not received any treatment apart from 5 sessions of radiotherapy to the neck area. We have asked for the lump to be operated on and removed but have been told this can’t be done. The only treatment the NHS can offer her is chemotherapy which is palliative care with no cure, but will aim to contain the cancer as long as possible with severe side effects. They have also discussed the possibility of Mum going on a clinical trial for the new drug ‘immunotherapy’ and after reading good things about the drug, she was willing to take part. But after further research into the terms of the study, there is only a 50/50 chance of her actually receiving the drug during the trial (which is chosen by computer). We won’t find out these results/conditions until the end of the study of which the length of time is indefinite. If she refuses the trial, the chemotherapy drug that she has been offered is not strong enough to give us the outcome we are hoping for.
However we have been doing some extensive research into alternative types of treatments and there is some hope in this new class of cancer treatment ‘immunotherapy’ (http://www.cancerresearch.org/cancer-immunotherapy). This is a type of cancer treatment designed to boost the body's natural defences to fight the cancer. Some types of immunotherapy enable a stronger immune response, while others teach your immune system what cancer looks like so that your immune system can hunt down cancer cells and provide long-term protection. Both chemotherapy and immunotherapy eliminate cancer cells, but while chemo targets tumors, immunotherapy targets the immune system and empowers your own body to destroy tumors, with fewer side effects and therefore a better quality of life. In conjunction with other alternative treatments, we believe that this is the treatment Mum needs to beat this horrible disease and potentially be cancer-free.
Although the NHS can potentially offer this drug as part of a clinical trial, we don’t want to take the 50% risk that Mum will not receive the drug and potentially waste valuable time, therefore we are looking into private clinics that can guarantee she receives this treatment. The drug is not yet approved in the UK for Mum’s type of cancer so we are finding it difficult to find a clinic here that can help us.
However we have heard of cancer treatment facility in Germany, The Hallwang Clinic, who specialises in more advanced treatments which are not yet available in the UK. They can combine a form of the immunotherapy drug with other leading cancer treatments and have achieved amazing results and success stories. Having had an initial telephone consultation with the Medical Director at the clinic, he remained positive and confirmed that they can treat Mum believing they can have success with her current condition. Hearing this news is amazing and we are hopeful that by receiving this treatment, Mum will get her complete and long lasting remission.
But this promising treatment comes at a cost. The clinic will begin to design an individual treatment plan for Mum; the first consultation and testing/scans alone are costing around £13,000 with each further treatment costing £10,000 a time. We will of course do everything we can to pay for some of Mum’s treatment ourselves; however we will be unable to cover the full cost. Which is why we have set up this fundraising page to see if we can raise enough funds and spread the cost of this treatment amongst kind people who are willing and able to contribute to this cause. We would be forever grateful for any donations no matter how small to help us raise as much as possible, so that we can get Mum to Germany and started on the best possible treatment.
Mum is a huge inspiration to me, her family and friends and to all fighting this disease; she has been so amazingly strong over the past few years, this last year especially and continues to fight this horrible disease again and again. With so many friends and family beside her she has so much to live for, places to see and memories to make. We will continue to fight alongside her and do everything we can to get her the treatment she deserves to beat cancer.
Thank you to everyone who has read Mum’s story. Please share with your family and friends and spread her story far and wide, and if anyone has any advice or contacts that may be able to help, we would love to hear from you. If you can help in any way you can we will be forever grateful for any donations received.
Thank you again.
Sophie Fortunelli (Lynn’s Daughter)
x
Organizer
Sophie Italia Fortunelli
Organizer
