The truth about foreign cancer clinics: Desperate families often raise millions to give a terminally ill child hope, but top experts are sounding the alarm about their 'unorthodox' and 'unproven' treatments...
By Ethan Ennals Published: 16:50, 19 May 2024 | Updated: 16:50, 19 May 2024 e-mail View comments Desperate families are raising millions of pounds every year to send their terminally-ill children abroad for 'unproven' brain cancer treatments which 'do not work', experts warn. Overseas clinics are offering places on clinical trials for experimental drugs to young patients – but making them pay for every aspect of the care. All have been told by NHS doctors that there is nothing more that can be done to slow the disease – so feel they have little other choice.
The medical centres – often in Mexico , Germany and the US – charge a high price, with families stumping up as much as £1 million. Most raise the cash via crowdfunding websites such as GoFundMe and JustGiving. However, top brain tumour experts claim many of these clinics offer 'unorthodox' medicines and surgical procedures and sometimes 'take advantage' of families looking for a shred of hope.
Anthony Freeman’s family raised £246,000 to treat daughter Jasmine in Holland In some cases, these treatments have a high rate of side effects, hospitalising some children, they say. And in many cases these therapies do not extend lives. Some child brain tumour doctors told The Mail on Sunday they know of families .
