'years Of Unnecessary Chemotherapy Stole My Youth'

A encephalon crab diligent who says he was prescribed chemotherapy tablets for 16 years, moreover though NHS guidelines opportunity they should only beryllium taken for six months, has said he feels his younker was stolen from him.

Jonathan Jones was diagnosed pinch anaplastic astrocytoma successful 2007 erstwhile he was 17 and took temozolomide tablets until November 2023, erstwhile he was 33.

Since he has raised his lawsuit pinch lawyers, much than 30 different encephalon crab patients astatine University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) person raised akin concerns.

The NHS spot said it was committed to providing nan safest imaginable attraction and had commissioned an independent inquiry.

Prof Ian Brown, nan oncologist who oversaw Mr Jones's care, is being investigated by nan General Medical Council (GMC). The BBC has attempted to interaction nan retired professor respective times.

Mr Jones, now aged 36, said: "I mislaid my freedom, I couldn't do thing astatine nan time. I had 16, 17 years taken distant from me."

The scenery gardener from Lichfield, Staffordshire, said he had had dental problems, associated symptom and worry issues since being diagnosed.

Talking astir nan effect connected his life, he said: "I was disconnected [work] each azygous period for 7 days and I couldn't get employed, truthful financially that was a problem.

"The symptom I suffered astatine home… I'd enactment successful bed, I'd person panic attacks. Sickness, tiredness. I didn't really spell retired much.

"It caused a batch of accent for my family arsenic well."

Mr Jones was told he would request to enactment connected his tablets to enactment alive, and erstwhile he questioned nan treatment, he said nan reply was: "Do you want to die? If you don't transportation connected taking nan chemo, you'll die."

Guidelines opportunity temozolomide should beryllium taken station radiotherapy for a maximum of six cycles. This is usually complete six months.

There are a wide scope of broadside effects associated pinch temozolomide including musculus weakness, representation issues and, successful uncommon cases, secondary cancers and liver damage.

Another patient, Samantha Smith from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, says she took temozolomide for six-and-a-half years while nether nan guidance of Prof Brown astatine UHCW.

She said she had suffered from teeth and gum decay, mobility issues and chronic fatigue.

Ms Smith said: "You ne'er expect anybody to move astir and opportunity to you 'by nan way, you've had excessively much'.

"I get a batch much lethargic now. I can't move arsenic overmuch arsenic I utilized to… it's difficult now to locomotion downstairs connected my own. I autumn a lot."

Law patient Brabners says it has obtained data, utilizing Freedom of Information requests that shows UHCW spent much than £3.6m connected temozolomide betwixt 2009 and 2024 – much than 10 times that of comparable NHS hospitals.

In a statement, UHCW said: "The Trust is committed to providing nan safest imaginable care.

"We person comprehensively reviewed and spoken to each individuals who were receiving temozolomide (TMZ) curen astatine nan extremity of 2023 to guarantee due support and attraction plans are successful place."

It added: "A high-grade encephalon tumour is an highly analyzable information and each modes of curen – surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy – transportation nan consequence of complications and broadside effects.

"National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines recognise that clinicians tin workout master judgement due to individual circumstances erstwhile offering curen to patients.

"We person commissioned nan Royal College of Physicians to behaviour an independent reappraisal of a typical cohort of patients who received greater than 12 cycles of adjuvant TMZ betwixt 2017 and 2023.

"As this process is ongoing, it would beryllium inappropriate to remark further astatine this stage."

A connection from nan GMC said: "Dr Ian Brown is presently registered pinch a licence to practise but pinch interim conditions connected his registration pending nan conclusion of a GMC investigation.

"The interim restrictions were first imposed connected Dr Brown's believe connected 23 August 2024."