Family launch urgent appeal to "kick cancer's ass" after mum-of-two is given heartbreaking diagnosis

Zoë Turbefield, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last July, is leading the fight to raise £40,000 for treatment for her sister Sam Burns, who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer last week.

The sisters lost their father Jim Turbefield to pancreatic cancer in February.

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Zoë, 45, from Brinscall, said she feels like Sam was "fobbed off" by doctors over pain in her ribs, and after several weeks on painkillers, was initially told the problem was likely to be neuroendocrine tumours that are hormone related and not life-limiting.

But last Tuesday the family were blindsided by news that Sam, a 48-year-old mum-of-two, has stage 4 pancreatic cancer that has spread to her liver.

She has been given six months to two years to live.

>>>How hiccupping can be a sign of pancreatic cancer. Click here for more symptoms to be aware of

Zoe said: "It was a complete bolt out of the blue, pretty horrendous.

"My sister asked if there was anything other than chemotherapy available on the NHS or anything privately, and was told no.

"I'm so angry because that's just not right. Since the diagnosis I've spent every waking moment researching potential treatments and there's so many things out there."

What else is out there?

Sam’s friend Caroline Taylor has set a fundraising target of £40,000 to cover some of the treatments she has been researching, but it wouldn't cover it all.

Some of the treatments Sam could have include:

- Intravenous Vitamin C treatment at £180 per infusion, three times a week

- CBD supplementation at £250 per month.

- Rigvir Therapy - a customised treatment using a virus capable of finding and destroying cells of a malignant tumour - at an estimated cost of £8,000 excluding travel to Latvia.

- Dendritic Cell Therapy (DCT) which activates the body’s own immune cells and helps the body defeat cancer on its own at an estimated cost of bwteen £17-40,000 excluding travel to Germany

- Hyperbaric Chamber Sessions - flooding the system with concentrated oxygen at £80 per session, and needed after every chemotherapy session.

“Heart of a warrior”

Zoe, who has been diagnosed as cancer-free after treatment, said: "It feels like she's been written off by the NHS. Is it that the doctors aren't allowed to say more, or are they not embracing the new therapies out there?"

She added that account manager Sam from Much Hoole was "doing alright" and is managing to get out for walks now that her pain is under control.

She said: “She’s an extraordinary human being. She is cheerful, loving, unbelievably strong and always puts her friends and family before herself.

"She's a much loved mum, daughter and sister with a nine-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy, she has the heart of a warrior, and if anyone can beat this, it's her.

"We've had an absolute kicking from cancer already and would very much like to kick it back.”

It seems others agree, and in a day since the fundraiser was launched, friends and family have already donated a "mind-blowing" £10,000, with others looking into setting up a host of fundraising activities.