A young woman has died of an extremely rare cancer that only affects 200 people in the world.
Vanessa Espinosa passed away aged 31 before she could finish her latest round of treatment.
But the course of oncothermia wasn’t available on the public health system.
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Vanessa hit the headlines after raising over £53,305 on GoFundMe in the last three weeks.
The Madrid native suffered from Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumour (DSRCT), a rare and aggressive type of soft tissue sarcoma, typically found in the abdomen or pelvis of young adults and adolescents.
Only around 200 cases of DSRCT have been recorded since the cancer was first described in 1989, as reported by Need To Know.
Her brother Alejandro explained: “She has Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Sarcoma, which affects the fat in her abdomen and liver.
“She’s undergone several types of chemotherapy, radiation, and clinical trials.
“Now, her only option is a treatment that isn’t funded by the public health system, so she’s going to do it privately.
“The treatment is called Oncothermia. The therapy consists of applying heat to the liver and peritoneum.
“It involves 12 sessions and is combined with chemotherapy to give it a boost.
He added: “Applying heat kills the cancer cells, and the good news is that it doesn’t affect healthy cells, it only affects the bad ones.”
However, three weeks after launching the fundraising campaign, Alejandro confirmed that his sister had passed away last Tuesday (17 Jun) before finishing the treatment.
He said, “With a heavy heart, I’m sorry to tell you that my sister left us this morning.
“Things got complicated for her these past few days, and she was having more and more trouble breathing.
“So now she’s resting.
“I wanted to thank you all for all the support and love this case has received since it was made public, it’s something that has surprised both family and friends alike.”
He added: “Any remaining money will be donated to the Spanish Association Against Cancer.”
The medical community has also expressed its sadness at his loss, highlighting the need to continue advancing research and treatment of rare diseases.
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