Leeds Man Waits Decision On Life-Extending Cancer Drug

Published 29th Jul 2015

"It's like being hit by a truck. I was 38 when I got told and I kept re-winding the doctor's words back.."

A Leeds man - who's fought pancreatic cancer - is calling on the NHS not to take away one of the only treatments available to patients.

It could help extend someone's life by three months.

"Sometimes you get up and almost cry, just to appreciate the smells and the sounds and everything, you learn the hard way that life is limited. Three months to someone who's got a very limited life is a long time.

"Obviously you'd do anything to survive, if you knew there was a drug out there which would actually extend your life and statistically it does by three months - but it might be a year, it might be two years - and to know that there's a drug out there is extremely frustrating."

Carl Denning is now waiting for the all-clear but told Radio Aire there were times he thought he'd die.

He's spoken to us as NHS England decide whether to take the life-extending drug abraxane off the Cancer Drugs Fund.

"As soon as you wake up to as soon as you go to bed, it is continuously on your mind - it never leaves. If they do take this drug away it'll add to the patient's anxiety and believe me, having cancer just absorbs your life with anxiety.

"The NHS have got limited funds, I do totally understand that, but we're talking about life and death here. Regarding pancreatic cancer, there's not much choice out there.

"It's frustrating to know that someone can decide and take that drug off the list."

Find out more about pancreatic cancer.