Why isn't Kerie Ivory's cancer being treated?

She is waiting for her slow-growing tumors to grow larger before further treatment can begin.

What challenges does Kerie Ivory face living with her cancer?

She faces debilitating fatigue, the uncertainty of when treatment will start, and must adapt her daily activities due to her condition.

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Cancer Wait: Mum's Invisible Threat Grows

Q: What is Kerie Ivory's diagnosis?

Kerie Ivory has small bowel neuroendocrine tumors that have spread to her lymph nodes, liver, spine, and rib.

8 Feb

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Summary

Kerie Ivory has slow-growing cancer that requires waiting for growth before treatment.
She waited four to four and a half years for diagnosis after initial symptoms.
New lesions have appeared in her liver, spine, and rib, causing fatigue.

Cancer Wait: Mum's Invisible Threat Grows

Kerie Ivory, a 52-year-old from Buckinghamshire, is living with small bowel neuroendocrine tumors that have spread to her lymph nodes, liver, spine, and rib. Doctors have advised her that treatment can only commence once these slow-growing tumors increase in size. This diagnosis followed a four to four-and-a-half-year period where her initial symptoms, including a persistent cough and fatigue, were misdiagnosed as common ailments.

Her condition worsened with severe bowel issues and anemia before a tumor on the ileocecal valve caused an obstruction, leading to her eventual diagnosis. Since then, Kerie has undergone multiple surgeries, including the removal of significant parts of her digestive system and liver. However, recent scans revealed new lesions in her liver, spine, and rib.

The impact of this "creeping" cancer has been profound, forcing Kerie to give up work in 2022 due to crippling fatigue. She faces a future of regular scans and the uncertainty of when or if treatment will be initiated, all while managing the daily limitations imposed by her condition.