Clitheroe cancer survivor's battle after funding for fertility preservation treatment refused by NHS
A young cancer survivor is fighting ‘ senseless bureaucracy’ to give her the chance to have a family in the future.
Mollie Mulheron was just 24 when she was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma.
The shock diagnosis came after Mollie became so poorly she was forced to give up her teaching career in the Galapagos Islands and return to live in the UK.
Mollie, who lives in Clitheroe, added: “The cancer was so aggressive that treatment had to start immediately, so there wasn't time to freeze my eggs before chemotherapy.
“The chemotherapy I received is well known to damage fertility and I was told that once I had recovered from cancer, I could look at preserving my fertility.”
One of the reasons Mollie’s fertility specialists wanted her to have egg freezing as soon as possible after chemotherapy was because there is often a temporary window where the ovaries recover and respond better to fertility treatment before the long-term effects become more apparent.
She added: “My specialists knew that if I had egg freezing soon after finishing treatment, I would likely produce more eggs in one cycle and may only have needed a single round of egg collection. That would have given me the best chance of preserving my fertility while also being the most cost-effective option for the NHS.
Instead, Mollie’s NHS funding requests were repeatedly refused. During the two years spent appealing those decisions her ovarian reserve declined significantly.
She added: “ I have now reached the point where I am likely to need two or even three egg collection cycles to achieve what could potentially have been achieved in one cycle straight after chemotherapy.
“Delaying treatment hasn't avoided the cost—it has likely increased it while also reducing my chances of success.”
It’s a tragic irony that the reason why Mollie, who runs her own business, the Lancashire Language Academy in Whalley and Padiham, has been repeatedly refused is that she is not infertile enough yet and only at risk which she says defeats the purpose of egg freezing.
Mollie (28) said: “My fertility has been damaged because of life-saving chemotherapy, and my specialists have repeatedly warned that it will continue to decline.
“Yet the very reason that has historically been used to fund fertility preservation—being at risk of infertility—has become the reason I am being refused. I am being told I cannot have treatment because I am not infertile enough yet, despite the fact that the purpose of the treatment is to stop me reaching that point.”
The NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board has said that such treatment decisions should be in line with the eligibility criteria of the Assisted Conception policy for Lancashire and South Cumbria, adding: “This will be based on clinical advice and best practice and follows the principles of NICE guidance.”
The National Institute for Health and Care Esxcellence has updated its guidance to make clear that fertility preservation should be considered for people whose fertility is at risk because of a medical condition or a medical intervention.
Mollie has raised the issue in Parliament and also on BBC’s ‘Newsnight’ with Victoria Derbyshire.
Mollie added: “This fight is no longer just about me.
“Across England, whether a young cancer survivor can preserve their fertility after treatment depends largely on where they live. Some NHS areas fund it, while others refuse, creating a postcode lottery for people whose fertility has been damaged by the very treatment that saved their lives.”
Mollie is being supported by Burnley MP Oliver Ryan who said: “I have continued to raise Mollie’s case with the ICB, NICE and Ministers, including meeting with the Health Minister.
“Yet Mollie is still being forced to fight this hard simply to have the opportunity to explore her options. After everything she has already been through, I do not think it is acceptable for her to have to navigate this ongoing battle over the interpretation of guidance. She deserves a proper opportunity to consider her future, and I will continue to press the ICB to look again at her case.”