Angie Best has revealed she weighs just seven stone and needs to put on weight in order to continue her chemotherapy treatment for colon cancer.
The ex-wife of late Manchester United legend George Best and mother of TV personality Calum Best stunned fans last month when she revealed her diagnosis.
Angie, 73, has since travelled to Switzerland for an unconventional cancer treatment known as mistletoe therapy - so called because it uses extracts from the European mistletoe plant.
Speaking in a video shared on Tuesday, Angie said she is struggling to put on weight because she has a healthy diet and those sorts of foods don't help with weight gain.
'I'm having my mistletoe treatment today. I have to say, this being sick, it's a very humbling experience,' she said.
'It makes you second guess everthing. I'm trying to eat healthy because I've got to gain weight because I weigh 46 kilos and with the next two rounds of chemo, I need more weight.
Angie Best has revealed she weighs just 7 stone and needs to put on weight in order to continue her chemotherapy treatment for colon cancer.
The ex-wife of late Manchester United legend George Best and mother of TV personality Calum Best stunned fans last month when she revealed her diagnosis.
'But the problem is, I'm trying to eat healthy so I've now got to go and eat, not quite so healthy. I'm sure I'll think of something.'
In a caption alongside the video, she wrote: 'Today I'm having Mistletoe therapy, it stimulates your immune system and mitigates side effects of Chemo and radiation like pain nausea and fatigue.'
Angie's son Callum commented on the video and wrote: 'I love you'.
Mistletoe treatment is an alternative cancer treatment that has been used in Europe for decades, particularly in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Some practitioners believe it can stimulate the immune system and improve quality of life for cancer patients, though its effectiveness remains debated in mainstream medicine.
It is not a standard, approved cancer treatment on the NHS, as robust evidence of its effectiveness as a cure is considered inconclusive by major UK cancer bodies.
It can be used alongside chemotherapy, which is what Angie is doing.
Former Celebrity Big Brother star Calum, Angie's only son, revealed his mother's diagnosis in a devastating video posted to social media in January.
Angie said: 'I'm trying to eat healthy because I've got to gain weight because I weigh 46 kilos and with the next two rounds of chemo, I need more weight'
In the clip, the clearly distressed star said: 'A few weeks ago, my beautiful, wonderful mum was diagnosed with cancer. For as long as I can remember, she has lived her life rooted in health, fitness and wellbeing.
'She has always believed in taking care of the body, mind and soul. But as we all know, cancer doesn't discriminate.
'It doesn't care where you're from, how you live, or how healthy you try to be. And now, it's here - and it's with my mum.'
Calum admitted he 'hasn't cried in years' but has been on an 'emotional rollercoaster' since his mother's diagnosis.
'My mum has been diagnosed with colon cancer that has spread to her liver,' he explained.
'To move forward, we need access to specialist care and professionals who can offer the right treatment. This is incredibly hard for me to say, but financially, I can't carry this on my own.'
The reality star set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the costs of his mother's specialist treatment, saying: 'Any contribution, no matter how small, will help us access the specialists, treatment and care my mum needs during this time.'
COLON CANCER: WHAT ARE THE WARNING SIGNS?
Bowel, or colorectal, cancer affects the large bowel, which is made up of the colon and rectum.
Such tumors usually develop from pre-cancerous growths, called polyps.
Symptoms include:
- Bleeding from the bottom
- Blood in stools
- A change in bowel habits lasting at least three weeks
- Unexplained weight loss
- Extreme, unexplained tiredness
- Abdominal pain
Most cases have no clear cause; however, people are more at risk if they:
- Are over 50
- Have a family history of the condition
- Have a personal history of polyps in their bowel
- Suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease
- Lead an unhealthy lifestyle
Treatment usually involves surgery and chemo- and radiotherapy.
More than nine out of ten people with stage 1 bowel cancer survive five years or more after their diagnosis.
Unfortunately, only around a third of all colorectal cancers are diagnosed at this early stage.
The majority of people come to the doctor when the disease has spread beyond the wall of the colon or rectum or to distant parts of the body, which decreases the chance of being successfully cured of colon cancer.
According to Bowel Cancer UK figures, more than 41,200 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK.
It affects around 40 per 100,000 adults per year in the US, according to the National Cancer Institute.