Overview

• After a minor January crash, Rachel Garfitt’s worsening back pain was repeatedly diagnosed as sciatica until she recognized her symptoms from an advanced breast cancer leaflet
• A CT scan revealed a 7 cm spinal tumour that had fractured her bone and confirmed the return of her cancer as incurable stage 4 with bone metastases
• Denied sacral radiotherapy on the NHS, she traveled to Scotland for private radiation aimed at stabilising her spine and improving mobility
• She remains on an NHS regimen of Ribociclib, hormone-blocking therapy and bone-strengthening injections and is awaiting results from her latest scans
• Facing mounting treatment costs and an approximate three-year outlook, she has launched a GoFundMe campaign and is exploring emerging therapies such as Capivasertib, Alpelisib and tissue-free biopsies