Brain tumour patient 'had to sell house to fund experimental treatment'
Jo Fuller described it as being as one of the "hardest decisions" of her life
A woman fighting an aggressive form of brain cancer was forced to sell her house in order to afford an experimental treatment.
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Jo Fuller, 51, revealed it was one of the "hardest decisions" to make but realised it was her only hope of extending her life.
Mrs Fuller, a dyslexia specialist from East Leake in Nottinghamshire, was diagnosed with glioblastoma while on holiday in Australia almost two years ago.
After standard treatments did not work, she opted to sell her house to continue accessing specialist care.
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She has funded hyperthermia treatment, which heats tumour tissues to between 42C and 43C, alongside regular consultations with an alternative oncologist, repurposed medication and nutritional supplements.
Hyperthermia is used alongside radiotherapy and chemotherapy to make cancer cells more vulnerable to other therapies.
The treatment is not routinely funded or widely available on the NHS – it is only used by specialist teams for certain cancers, such as a specific type of bladder cancer.
Its use to treat brain tumours is largely experimental, but can be accessed through trials or private clinics.
The charity Brain Tumour Research is now urging the Government to invest in research and expand access to clinical trials so "patients are not faced with these difficult and costly decisions".
Mrs Fuller said: "Selling my house was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made, but it became my only way of accessing treatments that might give me more time.
"I never imagined I’d have to sell my home simply to keep fighting for my life."
In December 2024, Mrs Fuller had travelled to Australia with her husband Wayne to spend Christmas with his family when she collapsed after a shopping trip.
Mrs Fuller was diagnosed with glioblastoma and had brain surgery in Australia before returning to the UK three and a half months later to have radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Mrs Fuller’s first post-treatment scan showed the tumour had continued to grow aggressively and spread across her brain.
She is no longer having hyperthermia treatment while she is off chemotherapy but continues to pay for three-monthly consultations, repurposed medication and supplements, which cost hundreds of pounds each month.
Mrs Fuller has also put funds to one side in case future scans show her tumour has grown.In that case, she hopes to pursue IOZK immunotherapy treatment in Germany, which is not licensed in the UK.
She said: "’ve always told myself I’ll be part of the 1% of long-term survivors. I refuse to let glioblastoma decide my future, but there desperately needs to be more research so families like mine have better treatment options and more hope."
About 3,200 people each year are diagnosed with glioblastoma, with a third surviving beyond a year.Just 4% of patients survive behind five years.
Mrs Fuller added: "No one should have to sell their home to access treatments that might prolong their life, and no family should feel as though there are no more options simply because research hasn’t progressed quickly enough."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Our deepest sympathies are with Jo Fuller, and everyone impacted by glioblastoma and other brain tumours.
"Improving cancer research and care is a priority for this government. That’s why, as part of our National Cancer Plan, we will bring the latest scientific breakthroughs into the NHS faster so that patients can benefit from earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment to live well for longer.
"While we know there is more to do, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), we are also supporting groundbreaking trials to transform outcomes for people living with brain tumours, and their families."