Terminally Ill Mother Demands Access to Life-Saving Cancer Drug

Sophie Blake, a 53-year-old mother from Brighton, is facing a heart-wrenching battle against incurable stage four breast cancer. She is determined to create lasting memories with her teenage daughter, but she claims that the lack of access to the life-extending drug, Enhertu, is costing her and her friends dearly. In recent weeks, Blake has witnessed the tragic loss of two close friends who could have benefited from this potentially life-saving treatment.

Despite being recognized globally, Enhertu is currently unavailable to women with HER2-low stage 4 secondary breast cancer in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The drug has been rejected for use by the National Health Service (NHS), even though it could offer patients an additional six months of life. Blake expressed her devastation, stating, “I have lost so many friends who desperately needed this treatment. It is devastating and frankly, utterly shameful.”

Blake was diagnosed with cancer in May 2022, a condition that has since spread to her liver, lungs, and pelvic bone. Though she describes her cancer as currently “asleep” after receiving a targeted treatment, she lives in constant fear of its return. “It’s like having a ticking time bomb inside me,” Blake said. “I live scan by scan. That drug would buy me valuable extra time to live with my daughter, to make more memories.”

The absence of Enhertu has stripped away hope for many women in the UK, according to Blake. She feels they have been overlooked while other countries and regions in Europe have access to this essential medication. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) turned down Enhertu in 2024, citing cost-effectiveness concerns.

Blake highlights the troubling statistics surrounding metastatic breast cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women aged 35 to 64 in the UK. “In 2022, NICE downgraded the severity of metastatic breast cancer without consulting oncologists, diverting funding away from crucial treatments,” she explained. Breast Cancer Now has been advocating for change, gathering over 250,000 signatures on a petition to increase access to treatments like Enhertu.

A spokesperson for NICE expressed disappointment regarding the inability to reach an agreement on the drug’s price with NHS England. “We are extremely disappointed that talks to reach a price agreement that would have made Enhertu available to around 1,000 women in England and Wales have not been successful,” the spokesperson stated. “The fastest and only guaranteed way to get medicines like Enhertu to patients is for companies to offer a fair price.”

Blake emphasizes the emotional toll of living with a terminal diagnosis. “When you get that diagnosis, your life is in the hands of your treatments,” she said. Many patients find themselves advocating tirelessly for access to the latest drugs, often encountering barriers in their pursuit of care. “You think arms will be wrapped around you, but it feels like you just become more forgotten about. It’s like you’re expendable.”

The struggle for access to Enhertu underscores a broader issue within the healthcare system. Blake argues that the time patients have left should be focused on creating memories with loved ones, not on battling for necessary treatments. “It’s so unfair,” she lamented, “the precious time we have left should be about living as good a life as we can.”

As the fight for access to this vital drug continues, Blake remains resolute in her mission to advocate for herself and others like her. “This is costing women their lives, and time is something we simply do not have.”