Mum with months to live begins 'ground-breaking' cancer treatment

A Scottish grandmother-to-be has started ground-breaking cancer treatment in Germany after she was given months to live.

Helen Swan, from Stonehaven, was first diagnosed with a rare form of cervical cancer in 2019. After undergoing treatment, she was given the all-clear in August 2020.

In November 2021, the mum-of-three was told that the cancer had returned to both of her lungs.

Her aggressive tumours have since spread further to the top of the 54-year-old’s spine, her liver, her thyroid glands and further into her bones, leaving no curative options.

At the beginning of 2025, Helen was told she had months to live.

After searching online for alternative treatments, she came across a transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) specialist in Germany.

TACE combines the local delivery of chemotherapy with a procedure called embolization to treat cancer.

The non-surgical and minimally invasive procedure is available on NHS Scotland, however, it is used to treat liver cancer.

Helen has already undergone her first round of treatment in Frankfurt, with the first injection targeting a tumour on her spine.

She told STV News: “There was a tumour there pressing on my spine which stopped my right leg from working. Now I have no pain in my leg. It is amazing.

Helen has already flown to Frankfurt for one round of treatment Supplied

“I have three visible tumours on my head which have gone down considerably.

“I’m hoping it will be curative and I will be cancer-free, as others using TACE treatments have done, but even if it extends my life by a few more years, that will be amazing.”

The mum is determined to be there to welcome her first grandchild in July.

Helen said: “The treatment is quite hard and scary. It is just what I have to do.

“My goal all along is to continue being a mum and to meet my grandchild in July.

“I want to extend my life as long as possible. The cancer is starting to shut down parts of my body so I’m hoping this treatment can give my life back.

The treatment costs between £5,000 and £6,000 a round. With Helen set to undergo several rounds of treatment, it will cost a five-figure sum.

A fundraiser has been set up to help with the financial strain caused by the vital treatment. So far, more than £13,000 has been donated, leaving the mum stunned.

The grandmother-to-be said: “I’m very grateful for the support so far, even the smallest donation can make a huge difference, I’ve a long way to go to be able to fund the treatments needed to target my cancer.

“I will need to raise at least £40,000, to be able to continue treatment of my cancer in Germany.

“I’m just a regular person and mum”.

A Scottish Government spokesperson added: “Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization is the administering of chemotherapy directly to a liver tumour via a catheter.

“It has been seen to improve survival in some patients with certain forms of hepatocellular carcinoma and can also be associated with reduced side effects.

“The decision for its use and any other associated treatment should consider patient choice and clinical judgement on what is best for individual patients.”