A dad-of-two who was given just weeks to live following a deadly brain tumour diagnosis survived another two years after his desperate wife gave him illegal drugs.
Neil Lanciano, 46, went from being in a wheelchair to walking through the regular use of cannabis oil and was labelled a “miracle case” by doctors.
The paint shop manager, from Innsworth, Gloucester, was diagnosed with a life-limiting glioblastoma (GBM) in April 2020.
Doctors succeeded in removing 94 per cent of his tumour through an operation at Southmead Hospital in Bristol the following month, but Neil was left with partial paralysis and speech difficulties.
Tragically, just six weeks after the surgery, his tumour had returned to its full size and was continuing to grow.
Further scans showed a scatter of smaller tumours had developed elsewhere on Neil’s brain.
He underwent gruelling radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment to no avail.
Neil’s doctors ceased his NHS treatment – telling him he had just weeks left to live.
His desperate wife Hayley Lanciano, 38, said she “felt compelled” to do something to improve his chances.
She said: “Not only did the operation feel like a waste of time, a follow-up scan showed the development of smaller tumours scattered on Neil’s brain.
“He was given radiotherapy and chemotherapy but this had no effect on stabilising the cancer and further surgery was too dangerous.
“We felt deflated, nothing was working. I felt compelled to take Neil’s diagnosis into my own hands.
“I was desperate to give Neil some kind of quality of life, for his sake and so he could be here a bit longer to watch our teenage daughters, Abbie and Emily, grow up.”
Playgroup manager Hayley said she had “no option” but to turn to cannabis oil – which is illegal in the UK due to its THC levels.
She forked out £16,000 from mortgage payments to buy the drugs online over a two-year period.
Neil used two bottles of the illegal substance each month, which saw him defy doctors’ expectations by living another two years after ceasing NHS treatment.
Surprisingly, a scan in July 2022 even showed that the small scatter of tumours on his brain had disappeared completely, although the larger growth remained.
Mum-of-two Hayley is adamant his prolonged survival was down to the use of cannabis oil.
She said: “His healthcare team said Neil was a ‘miracle case’ which they couldn’t explain.
“Neil had no other treatment and the only explanation I can think of is that the combination of cannabis oil and regular exercise played a big and positive part in Neil’s journey.
“Without our critical illness cover we wouldn’t have financially been able to afford for the £712 month payment for the oil. He used the oil for 24 months and it cost us around £16,000 in total.
“Neil survived more than two years after he stopped all radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment.”
Hayley claims the drugs also alleviated Neil’s suffering and helped him to regain a “quality of life”.