In March 2005 I was diagnosed with kidney cancer when an 8cm tumour was discovered in my left kidney. This kidney was removed in April 2005 along with my lower rib. Later in June after the next scan I was given the all clear although the so called experts had managed to miss a 2cm tumour in my remaining kidney. After my scan in November 2005 the tumour had grown to 4cm and was found along with disease spread to the lungs. I was told the disease was now terminal and discovered the average survival time was six months.

As chemotherapy and radiotherapy have little effect on kidney cancer I was told the only possibility of slowing the disease was through an immunotherapy drug called interferon and that this drug only had an effect in a small number of cases. This involved injecting myself every other day and came with very harsh side effects. Although only a small chance of some kind of response it was my only hope so I started the injections in December and pretty much spent the next three months in bed either continuously shivering with cold or covered in sweat. It was three months of my life that I don’t remember much about probably because it’s something I choose to forget.

Unfortunately the next scan in February showed the drug had not worked and the cancer had spread further. I was taken off of the Interferon and told there was nothing left that could be done for me other than trying to ease the symptoms. Unwilling to except this diagnosis and with the help of my family we searched for other treatments even though we were told there was nothing else in the world available. By May 2006 the cancer was in my remaining kidney, lungs, chest, lymph nodes, liver and ribs. There was also two and a half litres of fluid crushing my right lung and the tumours had grown to a mass of 56 square centimeters. There was a 17cm by 10cm lump growing from my back, my kidney and liver had grown to twice their normal size and my lower rib was being destroyed. I was now on 60mg of morphine a day as well as numerous other pain relievers yet still I could only sleep in the upright position due to the pain. I now had great difficulty even climbing a flight
of stairs.

Due to the cancer attacking my ribs, my blood showed very high levels of calcium and this was a danger to my heart so I was admitted to Hospital. While there I had intravenous drugs for the high calcium, a blood transfusion and my chest drained. At this time we found news about a clinical trial at Guys Hospital involving a drug called Sutent, which although at the time had only been tried on 1500 people around the world. It was showing positive results on advanced kidney cancer and luckily I was accepted on this trial. At the end of June I was rushed by ambulance to hospital with a temperature of 105 and very low blood pressure and this turned out to be the side effects of the new drug working so well. At present I am responding very well to this new treatment and the tumours have drastically shrunk (mass of 8 square cm). Present statistics show the body can become resistant to this drug after about fourteen months but as with other cancer research, things are moving so quickly that all statistics are out of date by the time they are published.

In fact a year after being told that I was beyond help there is now the potential for a further four treatments for advanced kidney cancer that I can gain access to with others in the pipeline. I believe that the possibilities created by this drug and others like it mean there is a good chance of having advanced kidney cancer stabilised for most cases in the near future.

THERE IS NO DOUBT, NO MAYBES, THE FACT IS WITHOUT THIS DRUG I WOULD BE DEAD, A FACT CONFIRMED BY MY ONCOLOLOGIST YET IN MAY I WILL BE CLIMBING THE THREE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES. UNBELIEVABLY THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT ALLOW THIS DRUG TO PATIENTS, SAYING IT IS NOT COST EFFECTIVE AND SHOWS NO PROVEN BENEFITS TO PATIENTS.

The most important message I want to give to people is that you just never give up hope, whatever the Doctors say and that cancer medicine is moving so quickly you just don’t know what is round the corner. It is with this in mind and to show what is possible even after the most terrifying diagnosis that in may 2007 with a couple of good friends I will be taking the Three Peaks Challenge. I also want to give something back to those that have helped me and will be hoping to raise money for the Hospice of St. Francis, Macmillan Nurses, Kidney Cancer and Guys Hospital. While giving something back to those who helped me I also realise that many people are effected by the many different forms of cancer so if you would prefer your money to go to a cancer charity that has personally helped you I would be more than happy to pass your donation on to your preferred cancer charity as I am taking on this challenge on behalf of everybody affected by cancer.


How to donate

If you would like to make a donation, you can do so the following ways:

• Send a cheque made payable to - “Friends of Frankie” c/o Chiltern Living P.O Box 677 Chesham HP5 3XY

• You can directly contact Mark Franklin via email: mark.franklin63@ntlworld.com or phone: 07787 716464

Any donations made will be equaly split accross the various charities displayed at the bottom of this web page.

Please remember when sending a cheque to put your full name and address so that the tax can be reclaimed
and your full donation be used.

If you would prefere to donate directly to just one of the charities for any reason please click their logo at the bottom of this page to be taken to there website.