8:10pm Thursday 2nd September 2010
By Catherine Pye
THE family of five-year-old Blackburn girl Madison Allan is devastated after learning her cancer has spread to her bones.
The Lower Darwen youngster is currently in Germany to undergo high-tech treatment not currently available in the UK.
But her family have been told by German doctors that the spaghetti-like tumour wrapped around her organs has spread to her bones in five different areas.
It has led Madison's grandmother Alison Foster to criticise the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital for not diagnosing it had spread.
The family had raised thousands of pounds for Manchester's £1m Five Star Scanner Appeal to buy a new MRI scanner.
Her grandmother said Madison had been complaining for four months about chest pain.
Madison’s grandmother Alison Foster said: “We’re really annoyed and upset.
"Why hasn’t this been discovered in England?
“We don’t know how long it’s been spreading, but now it’s in the bones in her chest, between her neck and shoulder, her pelvis and spine.
“Madison was telling us that her chest was sore, but nothing was followed up.
“There are a lot of questions to be answered by the NHS.”
A spokesman for the hospital said Madison's was a very sad case, adding: "Madison has a rare childhood cancer called neuroblastoma.
"She has undergone intensive treatment but unfortunately this disease has relapsed and despite all efforts, has progressed and continues to do so.”
Madison's treatment in Germany was made possible thanks to a £47,000 fundraising campaign.
She began a chemotherapy-type treatment on Wednesday in Germany.
It is hoped this will be able to shrink the tumour in her stomach.
Mrs Foster added: “The specialist said he wouldn’t do the treatment if there was no hope, but of course there’s no guarantees.
“It means that we are in for a longer haul than we expected, and the fundraising is now more important than ever.
“The medicine is being given orally rather than through a line.
"At the moment, Madison is doing well, though it’s early days and we’ll have to see how she goes on with it.”
The treatment has been described as Madison's last chance.
She has battled cancer for most of her life.
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