EMMA FREEBORN was 27 and engaged to be married when she discovered that she had breast cancer.

Her doctors thought that she would be a perfect candidate for Herceptin, trials of which were showing remarkable results. But her primary care trust refused to pay for the drug because it said that she was not an exceptional case.

Mrs Freeborn’s MP campaigned on her behalf and doctors at the hospital where she was treated successfully appealed against the decision. She has been taking Herceptin for ten months and now shows no signs of cancer. Last month she was well enough to marry her fiancé, David.

Mrs Freeborn, who lives in Sutton, southwest London, said: “I found the lump in December 2004. My doctor referred me to the Royal Marsden Hospital. The rapid diagnostic unit gave me various tests and, at the end, the surgeon told me that I had breast cancer.

“I had chemotherapy, which shrunk the tumour, and it was then removed. Then I had more chemothe-rapy and radiotherapy, and started to take tamoxifen.

“Then came Herceptin. When told I couldn’t have it, I became quite deflated. After a few days I decided to fight for it. My mum phoned the chief executive of the PCT and was told I would get Herceptin, but they never said why they changed their minds.

“I started to take it in November and it’s fantastic. I’ve been able to go back to work. I got married last month. It was a day I thought I would never see.”

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