CANCER drug campaigner and Oxford Mail columnist Clive Stone has been admitted to hospital with a brain tumour.

Mr Stone, from Freeland, near Witney, was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2007. He has since fought successfully to make the kidney cancer drug Sunitinib available on the NHS and last month persuaded the Government to allocate £200m to an emergency drug fund for cancer patients.

Here his wife Jan describes their latest battle with the disease:

WHILE I am writing this, Clive is about to undergo brain surgery for a tumour.

A metastasis from his kidney cancer has appeared in the brain.

I can’t tell you what a shock this all is.

Last weekend we did a three-mile walk around Wytham Woods and he seemed fine, apart from not swinging his arm when walking, although he could move it if asked to.

We did not think anything of it and put it down to a slow recovery from previous surgery, as he was still quite tired.

So, that’s where we are at the moment, waiting again.

I put this down to the fact that we keep mentioning the 'H' word. Holiday that is.

We have not had a proper holiday for three years, what with his surgery and my chemotherapy for breast cancer last year, so this has been a clear window for some serious planning.

Italy, Florence again, October, fantastic.

Those of you who have cancer, or know people who have, will understand how difficult it is to get travel insurance at a reasonable price.

Some insurance costs more than the holiday itself, so patients have found themselves not being covered for their illness and just taking cover for accidents and their belongings.

Maybe insurance companies could be a little more flexible with cancer patients in the future.

Anyway, that is totally irrelevant now. I don’t think we will be going anytime soon.

While Clive was in the ward recently, a nurse came to fill in forms regarding personal information and next of kin.

“Are you his carer?” she asked me.

“No, he cares for himself,” I replied.

“He’s a cancer patient, so you must be his carer.”

That got me thinking, who cares for the carer?

I had cancer, so where is my care?

I guess Clive must be, but he is not in a position to look after me at the moment (not that I need it).

Carers in the proper sense of the word do so much for their loved ones and save the NHS a fortune.

It is hard work and something we are not trained for, especially when it comes to nursing care.

It is exhausting and frightening all at once and I am beginning to realise that you don’t have any time for yourself.

Just going shopping can be quite a luxury, especially if close family live far away.

On another subject, only a few weeks now until the Government comes back from its summer recess.

We are looking forward to the drugs fund being implemented as soon as possible, so that other cancer patients can have access to the medication they need.

I do hope they keep their word, not that I am sceptical at all, but they are politicians after all.

I know that if they don’t, Clive will be on their backs again until the promise has been fulfilled.

I hope that in a few weeks he will be back writing his column, keeping you informed and being a general pain.

Who cares? I do!