I am posting this topic in the hope of reaching anyone in Spain who may be suffering with this awful disease or who knows someone who is.  There is alot of publicity growing in the UK about a treatment being offered in Frankfurt, pioneered by Prof Thomas J Vogl, called CHEMOEMBOLISATION. It is having amazing results and many are experiencing hitherto unheard of shrinkage in their tumours.  This is giving new hope to so many families and precious time with their loved ones that they never thought that they would have.  Prof Vogl is coming to the end of his clinical trial and so there is a timeline on new patients being able to access this treatment.  Many who have had the good fortune to be included in the trial are trying to campaign to allow the procedure to be offered in the UK and on the NHS, but this is a long slog through bureaucratic and medical red tape!  In the meantime, patients have to fund both the treatment and the cost of transport themselves, which is outrageous considering the facts at hand regarding cost, efficacy, drug availability and knowledge of the procedure.

My parents are ex pats living in Cantabria and only through my contact with Debbie Brewer (who was one of Prof Vogl’s first patients from the UK) have they come to learn of the trial and been able to access the treatment for my father who was diagnosed with Mesothelioma in Aug 08.  They have to fly every 5 weeks to his clinic in Frankfurt from Spain and I have had to help them access the minefield of benefits that they are entitled to.  It has been a huge project to enable them to find appropriate support, legal information and assistance at a devastating time. 

There is a community building on Facebook via Debbie Brewer’s wall which has links to helpful info including her own website. Also the BBC Politics Show has recently run a programme featuring a Plymouth man who has benefitted from Prof Vogl’s trial and they are planning to run a follow up show in the future.

Anyone who would like more information can contact me and I will happily forward on the Prof ‘s contact details and do what I can to assist.