Kim pointed out that patients in other G8 countries routinely receive surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy as standard treatment, along with treatment using the Optune device, which slows the growth of cancer cells.
She was able to receive the treatment through her private healthcare but she said this combination was not routinely available in Scotland, leaving many families having to navigate treatment options, clinical trials and additional support on their own.
She also said tumour samples in Scotland were not routinely “fresh-frozen” during surgery, which she said meant patients in Scotland became ineligible for clinical trials and emerging genomic treatments that require preserved tissue samples.
“These aren’t cures,” she said. “Nobody is pretending they are. But they give people more time with the people they love and, ultimately, that’s what matters.”
Kim is sharing her story during Glioblastoma Awareness Week, hoping that future families might be offered more options and face a different outcome.
She wants “kinder and more effective treatement”.
“It’s too late for me,” she said. “But I want to make a difference for those who come after me.”
