I had to tell my kids I had just weeks to live after my breast cancer spread – cashing in my pension saved my life

HAVING already faced breast cancer once, mum-of-six Laura Pearce was devastated when four years after getting the all clear, she learned it had returned – and spread. After one round of palliative chemotherapy, doctors told her there was nothing more they could do and she had just weeks left to live. “My son was with me,” she tells Sun Health. “It was horrific.” But, refusing to give up, Laura took matters into her own hands. Laura Pearce claims the NHS told her she had just weeks to live with her cancer diagnosis Credit: Kennedy News and Media The mum of six was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, but after getting the all clear the following year she later discovered it had returned in 2023 Credit: Kennedy News and Media She was diagnosed with breast cancer for the first time in 2018 after discovering a small lump under her left arm. The 54-year-old underwent chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a lumpectomy in the UK and was given the all-clear in September 2019. But she was horrified to learn she had stage four breast cancer, which had spread to her liver, lungs and bones, in August 2023. The mum of six, aged between 16 and 36, claims she was told around 85 per cent of her liver was covered in cancer and that she had liver failure. After undergoing one round of palliative chemo, Laura said she was told there was no treatment other than hospice care and that she had less than a year to live. Laura, from Llanelli, Dyfed, Wales, says: “It was really shocking because I had been really well, super fit and active. “I was so frightened. I’ve got six children and I’m a single mum, it wasn’t something I was willing to accept. “When they told me I only had weeks to live, I had to go home and tell my children I only had weeks to live. Laura discovered she had stage four breast cancer that had spread to her liver, lungs and bones Credit: Kennedy News and Media After undergoing palliative chemo, the mum was told she had less than a year to live Credit: Kennedy News and Media “I couldn’t believe it, they said there wasn’t anything they could do other than hospice.” Before her terminal diagnosis, the property consultant had been experiencing exhaustion and a tightness around her liver in early 2023. She initially put her symptoms down to the menopause but then decided to visit her oncologist. She claims she was told nothing was wrong, before ending up in A&E in pain in August 2023, which is when tests revealed her condition. Determined to see her children grow up, Laura began researching treatment options abroad and discovered Transarterial Chemoembolisation (TACE). TACE is a minimally invasive medical procedure used to treat liver cancer, which delivers high-dose chemotherapy directly into the blood vessels, according to Cancer Research UK. Laura says: “I had tunnel vision with my research. In a way, I think it saved my life.” Laura, who has been in property development for 15 years and prior to that, was a sales manager in telecommunications for 10 years, cashed in her life insurance and pension in order to fund the treatment. She began travelling to Frankfurt, Germany, every four weeks for treatment, costing her around £5,000 per trip. Over the following 13 months, Laura underwent 11 TACE procedures and microwave ablation, alongside systemic treatment and extensive monitoring, costing more than £100,000. Laura was determined to see her kids grow up so she cashed in her life insurance and pension to pay for treatment in Germany Credit: Kennedy News and Media She began travelling to Frankfurt every four weeks for treatment, which cost around £5,000 per trip Credit: Kennedy News and Media “It was really frightening going to Germany for treatment,” she says. “The doctor told me the treatment could kill me, but I would also die in a few weeks if I didn’t have it, so I had to take that chance.” Laura says the treatment was “brutal and very gruelling”. “They use a catheter to go into the artery in your groin and they thread it up to the organ, and that can cause a lot of pain,” she says. “It was frightening. Every time I had treatment it would change the pain I felt, so I had an anticipating fear of the pain. “Sometimes it was severe and other times it wouldn’t be so bad. “It’s the most challenging physical treatment that I have ever had. “As the journey went on, I got more used to it and the cancer started improving.” By September 2024, she was told she was in remission and says she felt lucky to be alive. Laura now travels back to Germany every three months for check-ups. She says: “It was really hard to believe I was in remission. It took me a couple of weeks to actually accept that it had gone, I feel so lucky to be alive. “The NHS fails people with breast cancer. If I hadn’t gone to Germany, I would have been dead in a few weeks. “I still have to be vigilant. I live with the fact that it could come back at any time, but I’m here, I’m alive, and that’s all I wanted. “It would have cost me my life if I had listened and just accepted that there was nothing more that could be done. Laura was told she was in remission in September 2024 and she now travels back to Germany every three months for check-ups Credit: Kennedy News and Media “If I had stayed in the UK, I wouldn’t have survived 2023.” Laura adds: “My savings have gone. I cashed in my pension. I used my life-insurance money. “I effectively spent the money I had put aside for my future in order to make sure I actually had one.” Laura still works as a property consultant, but it means when she does retire, she won’t have her pension. She now devotes a significant amount of her time to helping other people facing cancer, sharing the knowledge and practical information she has gained through her own experience. The majority of the information she provides is free through her social media platforms, but she also offers paid consultations. Laura says: “My time really is my gold. I receive an enormous number of enquiries and comments in my socials all of which I try to answer and simply couldn’t provide unlimited one-to-one support for free and still look after my children, my health and my home. “I’ve had criticism online for charging for consultations, but they are entirely optional. “Nobody needs to pay me to access the huge amount of information I share freely. “My mission is to be around my children for as long as possible. “I would encourage people to look for treatment options outside of the UK and to do their own research. Laura now devotes a lot of her time helping other people facing cancer Credit: Kennedy News and Media Signs of breast cancer and the importance of screenings Signs and symptoms of breast cancer include: A lump or swelling in the breast, upper chest or armpit A change to the skin, such as puckering or dimpling A change in the colour of the breast – the breast may look darker, red or inflamed A nipple change, for example it has become pulled in (inverted) Rash or crusting around the nipple Unusual liquid (discharge) from either nipple Changes in size or shape of the breast On its own, pain in your breasts is not usually a sign of breast cancer. But look out for pain in your breast or armpit that’s there all or almost all the time. One million people are missing screenings Thousands of women may be living with undetected breast cancer after missing screening appointments. The NHS warned about a third of eligible patients did not accept the free test offer last year. Figures show that was just over one million people, and 2.2million have missed an appointment in the past three years. An estimated one in 100 women are diagnosed with cancer after screening. In 2023 there were 18,942 tumours detected out of 1.93million women screened for breast cancer, but a further 1.05m women who were invited did not attend. The one per cent detection rate means there were potentially 10,000 missed cases. Screening is generally offered to women every three years between the ages of 50 and 71, when their risk increases. Scans are carried out in local clinics and hospitals, as well as in roving scan vans in some places. Women who have had a mammogram should still check their breasts regularly. “Secondary breast cancer can appear in the liver, lungs, bones and brain and it gets missed and carries on growing without any symptoms. “I feel like the NHS is about ten years behind. So many women die from stage four cancer without knowing there are options. “You can cash your pension towards treatment abroad, it’s really important people understand that.” Sharon Daniel, Director of Nursing, Quality and Patient Experience at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “We can’t comment on individual cases because we need to protect our patients’ confidentiality. “We are always sorry to hear when a patient is not happy with the care and treatment they have been given or of their experience during their time with us. “However, I would like to reassure patients in our care that we always follow the appropriate NHS guidelines for treating the range of conditions we look after in Hywel Dda. “We encourage patients who would like to speak to someone about their concerns, to please contact our Patient Support Team on 0300 0200 159 or by email at: hdhb.patientsupportservices@wales.nhs.uk.” You can donate to Laura’s fundraiser, which covers medical, travel costs and a reserve fund if she requires further treatment, here: www.gofundme.com/u/3bf6f6af-7646-4858-8ad8-b3876bbe22af What is secondary breast cancer? Sometimes cancer cells can travel from the original tumour in the breast and spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph system. The organs that breast cancer usually spreads to are bone, liver or lungs. When breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it can be treated but not cured. This type of cancer may be described as metastases, secondary or stage 4 breast cancer. The symptoms of secondary breast cancer depend on where in the body the cancer has spread. These symptoms can also be caused by other conditions, but tell your GP, cancer doctor or specialist nurse if you have any. Always tell them if you develop new symptoms, especially if they last more than 2 weeks. General symptoms of secondary breast cancer can include: feeling generally unwell for no obvious reason feeling more tired than usual losing your appetite Source: Macmillan