A woman whose ovarian cancer was deemed “stable” by doctors later found she developed 25 brain tumours, after it spread.
Amy Van Wyk, 43, was first diagnosed back in 2018 and had surgery and chemotherapy, and was reassured her cancer was stable, but five years later she had a seizure while on holiday in South Africa and was given the devastating news it was caused by multiple brain tumours.
Her ovarian cancer had metastasised and spread to her brain, causing 25 tumours, with some as large as 4cm. Amy, from Epsom, Surrey, underwent an advanced non-invasive radiation therapy to shrink the tumours using a robotic arm called CyberKnife. She is now waiting for a scan next month to determine if her treatment was effective.
Amy said: “My wonderful holiday turned into a whirlwind of shock, confusion, and panic as I tried to process what had happened. The thought of having 25 tumours in my brain, some nearly 4cm in size, was absolutely terrifying.
“Undergoing CyberKnife was really scary and claustrophobic at first, wearing a mask moulded to my face and watching the robotic arm move around my head. It’s also terrifying to trust my life to someone else and, through them, a robot.”
After believing her cancer was stable, it was on the final night of a trip to near Cape Town, South Africa, with her husband, Marcel, that Amy had a seizure in a restaurant. Marcel, a divisional director of a fresh produce company, and the restaurant owner, performed CPR until the ambulance arrived. Amy said: “A CT scan revealed the awful truth behind the seizure – I had multiple brain tumours.”
Amy and Marcel were able to fly home the following week, accompanied by a medic in case of complications during the journey. During the flight, Amy said she was overwhelmed with questions: ‘Are there any treatments available?’ and ‘How will my life change?’. Following two further scans, doctors gave Amy hope by suggesting the CyberKnife treatment.
She said: “I knew I needed treatment immediately, but I hesitated – would it work and what would the side effects be?” She underwent three courses of CyberKnife treatment in March 2023, April 2024, and December 2024. Amy added: “The one on New Year’s Eve was a total shock, I was expecting to be told I was stable, only to find out there was a new area that needed treatment. It’s so frustrating because I just want to move on with my life, but I keep getting pulled back to the table.”
As she awaits her next scan, Amy’s experiences have left her feeling greater research is needed into brain tumours. She said: “Although treatments exist, I can’t help but wonder how long they will last and why the options are so limited compared to other diseases. I was shocked to learn there wasn’t more research and awareness in this area. I didn’t even know I could develop brain metastases from ovarian cancer.”
She is supporting her pal Denise Sefton, who is trekking 50km across the Sahara Desert to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research. Amy said: “There needs to be greater investment in this research to provide hope, which is why I’m so proud and inspired by Denise for taking on this challenge. She’s ambitiously set a goal of funding four whole days of research, and I have no doubt she’ll be incredible on the journey.”
Carol Robertson, National Events Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Metastatic brain tumours remain a devastating reality for many cancer patients, yet research in this area remains underfunded. We are incredibly grateful to Denise for her efforts in raising awareness and vital funds, and we stand with Amy in her fight against this disease. Only together will we find a cure.”
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