My mum was told to take antihistamines for common cancer sign – she’s living with a death sentence but NHS won’t operate

A MUM who was told to take antihistamines for her itchy skin was devastated to learn this was actually a sign of liver cancer.

Marie Stibbe, 79, was diagnosed with the disease in February, but her daughter claims the said treatment would only buy her a “few weeks”, forcing the mum to travel abroad for life-saving care.

When Marie went to her in December 2025 complaining of itchy skin, she was told to take .

A subsequent blood test, however, revealed she had developed Type 2 and had markers that potentially indicated .

She was sent to Exeter Hospital’s gynaecology department and in February, months after her symptoms began, a scan actually revealed she had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a common type of .

Marie was referred to the hospital’s hepatology department but there, her daughter Rachel claims she was told she only had 12 months to live and that would only buy her “a few weeks”.

Rachel now says she has been forced to take her mum to for cancer treatment, as well as a potential liver transplant.

HCC is the most common type of and in the early stages of the disease, there are often no symptoms.

There are around 7,000 new cases of liver cancer every year in the UK, with incidence rates highest in those aged between 85 and 89.

When symptoms do appear, they can include having itchy skin, losing weight for no reason, experiencing a loss of appetite, feeling sick and fatigue and the whites of the eyes looking yellow.

According to , several cancers can cause itchy skin, including and Hodgkin lymphoma.

Speaking about Marie’s cancer diagnosis, Rachel said: “It was just a complete shock, it came out of nowhere.

“The family were not expecting that off the back of ‘I’ve got some itchy skin, I’ve got diabetes’.”

A scan in early March revealed that Marie, who had previously been diagnosed with cirrhosis, had a 7.5cm tumour on her liver.

She was told, however, that her liver was still compensated, meaning it was scarred but still functioning.

Rachel claims that by April her mum still hadn’t had an appointment with her hospital’s team and due to her concerns, she spoke to a liver expert at King’s College, who told her to urgently contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).

She was advised to raise concerns with PALS that the 62-day target for starting cancer treatment following referral had been missed for her mum.

Rachael said: “We carried on waiting, and I carried on chasing, and we were just getting nowhere.

“We complained about the , the water in her legs, and how bad it was getting – and we were told to go and see the GP for water tablets.”

In May, Rachael said she paid £700 for a private MRI scan which showed her mum’s tumour had ballooned to 14cm and that her liver was now decompensated, meaning it no longer functioned properly.

By July, doctors said there was nothing else they could do for Marie, and said she had just another six to 12 months to live, Rachel claims.

Rachel, however, didn’t want to give up hope and tried to get a £2,500 PET CT scan for her mum, based on advice from the liver expert.

But she says that NHS doctors were unwilling to fill in the necessary forms authorising the scan, meaning her mum couldn’t have it.

So instead, Rachel found doctors in India through The Medical Travel Company who immediately advised her to get a PET CT scan.

Marie flew to New Delhi in August and there, doctors said they could save her life.

Speaking about her mum’s ordeal, Rachel said: “She didn’t really want to get on a plane, fly 5,000 miles away from her , her children, and her family.

“But she understands it’s her only chance.

“She understands the NHS gave her a death sentence – it is that simple.

“Having come through her treatment, it has been successful and she can have a transplant, she’s a lot more positive now.

“She’s been given a chance, and this was a chance that the NHS wouldn’t give her.”

Marie was given ‘transarterial radioembolization’ (TARE) to treat her tumours and doctors have said there is a 95 to 98 per cent chance a liver transplant will be successful.

Rachel is now preparing to fly out to see if she can donate part of her liver to her mum.

All of this treatment, however, is not cheap so Rachel has started a GoFundMe to raise for her mum’s life-saving treatment.

Speaking about what Rachel has done for her mum, Marie’s husband Alan, 79, said: “My daughter’s had to take out loans, she can’t take out any more.

“I can’t take out any more, I’m retired. We’ll just see what happens, but I think it’s going to be the sale of the house, and that seems harsh.

“The good is, my wife will probably live – whatever her quality of life will be, at least we’ll be together.”

Rachael has since complained to the NHS about her mother’s care, and requested they reimburse the cost of her mother’s private treatment.

“There are just so many people out there with liver cancer in the UK being told to go home and die, and I just wouldn’t accept it,” she said.

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust carried out a review of Marie’s treatment following Rachel’s complaint.

But a letter from the Trust in August said that the review “has not identified failures in care or significant delays attributable to the Trust”.

It added that Marie was the one to blame for the 62-day pathway being exceeded due to “postponement of appointments whilst a second was sought.”

A spokesperson for the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust told : “The concerns raised by Ms Stibbe were fully investigated through our complaints process, in line with Trust and national policy.

“We kept her informed throughout those investigations and have provided a comprehensive response to her concerns.”