• 7/18/2007
  • Northamptonshire, UK
  • staff
  • Evening Telegraph (www.northantset.co.uk)

A dying man will find out today if he is suitable for a revolutionary cancer treatment which experts say could save his life.

Brad Tompkins will undergo an MRI scan at University College Hospital in London which will determine whether he could benefit from the breakthrough laser therapy to treat his mouth cancer.

Mr Tompkins, of Rushden, has rejected the chance of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as surgery to remove parts of his tongue and throat, because it would severely affect his quality of life. It leaves the new treatment his only hope for treatment.

Mr Tompkins, who has been told his cancer is terminal, said: “I’m so nervous. Essentially, I’ll find out whether I’ve got weeks left to live or if I’ve got the rest of my life to look forward to.

“Doctors will be carrying out an MRI scan to see if the treatment could work.

“I’m frightened and excited because this treatment could be perfect. Other options involved surgery to remove my tongue and voice box.

“That would not be an option for me because I have to talk to people –I have to communicate.”

Mr Tompkins, who was diagnosed with cancer in April, said he only found out about photodynamic therapy (PDT) as an alternative to chemotherapy and radiotherapy after Northampton Welfare Rights showed him a cutting from a newspaper a few weeks ago.

He is concerned that had he known about the procedure earlier, doctors would have been able to tackle the cancer in his mouth sooner.

The 48-year-old, who lives with his partner Nick Grant, said: “The problem is that few people know about the procedure and it’s not routinely offered”

The laser therapy was pioneered by Colin Hopper, an expert based at the London hospital, who will be working with Mr Tompkins.

Mr Hopper said: “The biggest problem is that health trusts want to know a new procedure is going to be better than the ones it is replacing. “They need to see a lot of studies and research before recommending a procedure and that costs a lot of money.”

The treatment Mr Tompkins is hoping for uses a laser, or other light sources, combined with a light-sensitive drug to destroy cancer cells. Treatment costs about £6,000 – compared with the average £17,000 it costs for chemotherapy.

However, even if he is eligible for the treatment Mr Tompkins will face another wait to see if the primary care trust in Northamptonshire will fund it.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Teaching Primary Care Trust said: “The treatment has been approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence for the treatment of a small number of cancers, such as some skin cancers and cancer of the oesophagus.

“It may only be appropriate in particular cases and is not routinely offered on the NHS unless it has been approved by Nice.

“We may consider applications for funding of PDT in exceptional cases where there is clear evidence from the patient’s clinician that it is the most effective course of treatment.”