'My Center Parcs bowling back pain was actually sinister symptom'
Amy Boe, 47, was diagnosed after feeling aches and pains
A mum's "back pain" during a family bowling trip at Center Parcs turned out to be a sinister symptom of advanced breast cancer. Amy Boe, 47, initially experienced discomfort in her left breast and was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in June 2023.
She underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, and doctors believed they had successfully treated the disease. However, just a week after completing preventative treatment in February 2024, she experienced back pain during a family bowling outing.
Initially thinking she had "pulled something", further tests revealed it was a sign of stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, which had spread to her liver and bones. Doctors informed her that chemotherapy was no longer an option.
Amy sought to try a treatment called transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), where chemotherapy drugs are delivered directly to the tumour in her liver via a catheter inserted into the supplying artery. This treatment is only available on the NHS for primary liver cancers, but Amy has secondary liver cancer.
Facing a £40,000 bill for private treatment in the UK, she's raising £20,000 for more affordable treatments in Germany. She began this treatment in May and is fundraising for the next round on June 19.
UK doctors have deemed her cancer incurable but treatable and Amy remains hopeful that the TACE treatment will lead to remission.
Husband Alex, a photographer from Alnwick, Northumberland, said: "She was getting a lot of pain in her back, and we went bowling, and she hurt herself, but that turned out to be the cancer's return. It's devastating for us all. The second diagnosis was a massive shock because we were going into the hospital, expecting to get the all-clear."
Amy, a mum-of-three, remains optimistic: "I feel really positive about the treatment and I met a lady last time I went there and she received positive results."
The couple has been hit hard by the news that despite chemotherapy and radiotherapy for breast cancer, it has now spread to Amy's bones and liver. Alex explained that "two cells got away" leading to this aggressive spread.
They are now facing costly trips to Frankfurt, Germany, for further treatment, with each visit estimated at £5,000. Alex revealed that Amy might need three trips, and they've managed to raise just over £6,000 so far.
Alex added: "I've got a big family that has shared it, and we are doing a few fundraisers that Amy's friend has set up to add to the tally. Amy has always stayed really positive, and she is not one for lying around. She always wants to do stuff with the kids.
"This treatment has really wiped her out, and she struggled to eat during the chemotherapy. Before the cancer, she worked in a hotel, and she was always the type to get up and go.
"Even though she was going through chemotherapy, she was still working through the early stages. She has always put others before herself. We want to ensure she has access to the medical support she needs, along with making memories with her beautiful children."
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