For almost 20 years, Sally Barnes has suffered from skin cancer. In that time she has had 10 operations to remove them.
Barnes told the Daily Mail the melanomas always appeared in the same spot on her left leg. Sometimes to get rid of the cancer, doctors removed a chunk the "size of half an apple". This resulted in her leg being messed up in the area where the melanomas had been cut out. The 68-year-old chose to wear only trousers so no one could see the damage to her leg. Then, six years ago Sally was faced with an agonizing decision: have her leg amputated or try an unusual cancer treatment.
Doctors at London's Royal Marsden Hospital grew concerned the cancer in Sally had returned and growing behind the skin flap, where there was little left of the leg they could remove. Sally, a retired housekeeper was also warned if she chose to participate in the treatment she could risk loosing her leg. At that point she told the Daily Mail she felt she had no choice and decided to take the chance.
The treatment involves treating the patient's leg with heavy doses of anti-cancer drugs the body would otherwise not be able to take. A few days after the procedure her toenails fell out and all the skin on the bottom of my foot came off. But everything eventually gew back looking better than ever.
Her life has changes drastically since she chose to undergoe the unusual surgery in 2011. Since then she has only had to remove two small melanomas twice. This kind of treatment is effective in treating skin cancer spreading from the legs and arms, experts say.
