Man Receives Devastating Silent Killer Diagnosis

A man was diagnosed with a rare cancer after noticing a red spot in his right eye.

Tony Brown, 63, noticed a red spot in his eye but thought it was just a burst blood vessel after Googling it.

His daughter Suzie Brown, 39, and the rest of his family were worried and Tony went to the opticians.

They told him he probably had a detached retina and transferred him to Lancaster Hospital.

He underwent a CT scan and ultrasound before being transferred to Lancashire Eye Hospital, Chorley, and then Royal Liverpool University.

There, he was diagnosed with ocular melanoma, an extremely rare form of cancer.

Tony had surgery to remove the eye and tumor the next day.

But last week an MRI showed the cancer had spread to his liver and now Tony is trying to raise £120,000 for chemosaturation – a non-surgical treatment for liver cancer.

Tony, a council worker from Morecambe, Lancashire, said: “I was devastated when I received the diagnosis.

“You always hear about people getting cancer, but you never think it will happen to you.

“I am hopeful that with this treatment I will be able to live a long time.”

After noticing a red spot in his right eye, Tony went to his optician in February 2024, who thought he had a detached retina – when the thin layer at the back of the eye becomes loose.

Opticians checked his eye and transferred him to Lancaster Hospital on February 20, 2024.

His daughter Suzie, who works in the insurance sector in Morecambe, said: “When he went to Lancaster Hospital they did a few scans and said he should be transferred to Lancashire Eye Hospital .

“I drove him to Chorley the next day where he had several scans, ultrasounds and imaging.

“The doctors said they would have to transfer him to the oncology unit in Liverpool and when you hear that you automatically think the worst.”

Suzie drove Tony to Liverpool on March 4, 2024, where he was diagnosed with eye melanoma and told they would have to remove his eye and the tumor.

Suzie said: “It was just shocking. We were devastated and very worried.

“We were broken by it all at that point, but we were also hopeful because they were removing the eye and the tumor.”

The next day, Tony had an operation to remove the eye and tumor, which was successful.

Suzie said: “He was in hospital for three days. They did an ultrasound which showed nothing on his liver, which was brilliant.

“The doctors said his liver would be the first place the cancer would spread.”

When he left the hospital, Tony was told he would need a routine MRI to check if the cancer had returned.

In April 2024, an MRI revealed the presence of small tumors in his liver.

Suzie said: “Our family has been broken by this news.

“We learned some absolutely shocking news: without treatment, he had months to live.

“Dad is broken and still is. He has a hard time understanding.

“He’s not ready for this to be the end and he wants to fight this.”

Doctors told Tony there was nothing they could do for him, but recommended chemosaturation – a non-surgical treatment for liver cancer.

The treatment is not available on the NHS but is available privately at a cost of £40,000 per round.

Tony’s family are trying to raise £120,000 for the life-changing treatment so he can undergo a few rounds of treatment.

Suzie said: “Some people have lived with this for five years. Others have seen their cancer eradicated.

“This truly is a miracle treatment for this rare cancer. Unfortunately the NHS does not fund it and it is only available privately.

“Because this cancer is so rare, there hasn’t been as much research or funding, so options are very limited for patients who have it.

“As a normal working family with an average salary, we now have to raise a lot of money in a very short time for this treatment to give him more precious time with us.”

Tony added: “I’m amazed at the generosity I’ve received so far from family, friends and even people I don’t know.

“I hope this treatment will give me more time with my family.”

Link to JustGiving: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/suzie-brown-2#