Dame Esther Rantzen reveals ‘amazing’ new cancer drug which delays the spread of the disease and means she might see another birthday: ‘I didn’t think I’d ever be 84’ [Video]

04:44 EDT 12 May 2024, updated 07:15 EDT 12 May 2024

Dame Esther Rantzen has revealed that an ‘amazing’ new cancer drug which delays the spread of the disease means she might live to see her 84th birthday in June.

The Childline founder, 83, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer last year and has since revealed she has joined the assisted-dying clinic Dignitas in Switzerland. 

She has been campaigning for an assisted dying law change and promoted a petition which garnered 200,000 signatures, prompting a debate in parliament at the end of April.

Amid her campaign, Dame Esther revealed that an ‘amazing’ new drug had delayed the spread of her cancer but that her time was ‘very limited’. 

She told The Sunday Timesof being able to plan ahead as a result of the drug, saying: ‘I’m having to make the same decisions about my birthday — I didn’t think I’d ever be 84 and now it looks like I …