Help Nadine Beat Cancer Again

Hi, my name is Nadine. I was first diagnosed with cancer in 2015 at the age of 35, squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. I underwent surgery to remove the tumour from my tongue and 32 lymph nodes from my neck. After recovering from surgery, I had radiation therapy for 6 weeks, lost a total of 36kg during treatment but came out the other side fairly in tact!

 

I was in remission for 8 years, until July 2023 when I noticed a tiny, sensitive bump on my tongue, on the same site as where the previous tumour was 8 years ago. At first I thought nothing of if, as my tongue was very senstive to spices and certain foods as a result of the previous radiation therapy, prone to all sorts of bumps and lesions as a result, following the radiation therapy 8 years ago.

 

However, this time was different... The tiny bump grew into a golf ball sized lump in less than 3 weeks and after a biopsy of tje lump, it was discovered that I had developed cancer...again and that this type of cancer is caused by changes in the morphology of cells due to radition therapy and only occurs about 7 to 8 years afyer radiation therapy...go figure... The very treatment designed to cure me caused a much more severe and life-theatening type of cancer, spindle cell sarcoma, which occurs in less than 1% of the population... In any event, the lump was surgically removed, I spent 8 days in ICU nad high care following the surgery. I now struggle to eat, swallow and speak properly due to the extent of the surgery to remove the tumour. Anyway, surgery done and dusted, now I have to reveice chemotherapy treatment because the biopsy report also confirmed vascular and nerve infiltration...

 

Challenge, I can't have more radition on a previously radiated area because as my doctor put it, "your face will literally melt off". What to do next? 

 

A medication called Votrient has been  recommended by my oncologist as the essential treatment option for recurring soft tissue cancer in a previously radiated area. The fact that this is a now a sarcoma that can easily metastisize in other parts of the body like the lungs, due to the vascular and nerve infiltration diagnosed during the initial biopsy, requires a biologocal chemotherapy treatment as classic chemotherapy is highly unlikely to work in my case.

 

Problem, it's a very expensive treatment option, that my medical aid has declined not once but four times, despite numerous motivation letters being submitted to the medical aid by my doctors to motivate how essential this treatment is to preventing the cancer spreading to other parts of my body. It's not part of their PMB treatment protocols and that's that according to the medical aid...

 

This has been ongoing for months now... I was supposed to start this treatment six weeks post-surgery, I am on 6 months post surgery and still no closer to getting the treatment I need.

 

There is no alternative or generic option available for Votrient in South Aftica and I cannot afford to pay for this treatment personally :(

 

Bottom line, as someone that never asks for help, I am asking for help to make it possible to afford this treatment I so desperately need.

 

The cost for 1 tablet, taken monthly, is between approximately R11 000 and R19 000, depending on the dose (200mg vs 400mg) and the treatment is over a 5 year period. 

 

I am  taking my case the Ombudsman for Medical Aids and hopefully this way, get the medical aid to pay for the treatment. However, this process could take another several months... 

 

I need you help please to start with the treatment as soon as possible while I attempt to exhaust all possible avenues to get the medical aid to cover the cost of the treatment.

 

Any little bit you can spare would be highly appreciated!