MSCC on the BBC: Coverage of our secondary spinal cancer service across the BBC

Posted 31st August 2023

Picture of BBC reporter Anna Collinson interviewing patient Robert and his wife Lynda on the hospital roof terrace

When cancer spreads to the spine, it can put pressure on the spinal cord that carries nerve signals between our bodies and our brains. Left untreated, it can eventually cause permanent damage to the spinal cord leaving people paralysed. Metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) - the medical term used when the cancer is putting so much pressure on the spinal cord that it could cause this damage - is a serious emergency and usually needs to be diagnosed and treated within 24 hours.

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre has the UK's only specialist service of its kind offering emergency diagnosis and treatment seven days a week from a dedicated team of different health professionals, working in partnership with hospitals, primary care and community health teams across Cheshire and Merseyside.

We gave the BBC's Anna Collinson exclusive access to follow the team over two days as they responded to emergency referrals and cared for patients needing urgent diagnosis and treatment to prevent permanent paralysis.

Anna met patients and staff at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre to find out about our unique super-specialist service - the only one of its kind in the UK - and the difference it's making to people like Robert. When he went to his GP in January with persistent back pain that wasn't improving and had left him unable to bend down to put his golf tee pegs into the ground, the last thing he expected was to be diagnosed with cancer and told he may need emergency treatment to prevent him from becoming paralysed.

Luckily, his GP and physiotherapist recognised 'red flags' and referred him for a MRI scan to see what was going on. It showed something suspicious so they referred him to The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre's MSCC service for urgent assessment and care. Further tests showed he had MSCC as well as oesophageal cancer that hadn't shown any symptoms and he was transferred straight away to Clatterbridge Cancer Centre - Liverpool for emergency radiotherapy to shrink the tumour and prevent it damaging the spinal cord. He is now recovering well, got married to his long-term partner, Lynda, in July and is back playing golf.

The story was featured across the BBC on Thursday 31st August including BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC1 Breakfast, BBC1 News at One, BBC1 News at Six, BBC Radio 5 Live Adrian Chiles, BBC News channel, BBC Online, BBC North West Today, BBC North West Tonight, BBC Radio Merseyside, the BBC's YouTube channel and BBC TikTok.

Thank you so much to reporter Anna Collinson, producer Claire Kendall and cameraman Steve Fildes for covering the story with such sensitivity, compassion and care. You can read more on the BBC website.