IN a new book published this week, Oxford don Michael Gearin-Tosh reveals how he resisted doctor's advice on traditional treatment for his cancer and opted for Chinese medicine, a strict diet regime and coffee enemas. His decision caused a furore yet he is still alive to tell the tale.

Here, Karen Stephen talks to Westhoughton woman Frances Barker who has secondary breast cancer FRANCES Barker sits in a large, comfy armchair and gazes out of the large picture window at the rolling hills leading up to Rivington Pike.

"I can manage to walk around that field now," she smiles, "slowly of course but at least I can manage it."

Frances, aged 55, has secondary breast cancer.

"It has spread to my liver," explains Frances -- a warm, friendly mum-of-three who originally hails from Edinburgh but has lived in Horwich for many years.

"They thought it had gone when I had radiotherapy for the breast cancer but it came back."

Frances, a former primary school teacher, discovered she had cancer in October, 1998.

"I found a lump in my breast and decided to go and have it checked out by my GP."

"I honestly didn't think it was anything to worry about. I was so laid back about the whole thing that I went to the doctor's on my own."

Her GP sent Frances to hospital for a mammogram.

"I still wasn't too concerned but when they said they wanted to do a biopsy I thought something might be wrong."

But she certainly wasn't prepared for the news that came with the results.

"The doctor told me it was cancerous and I was completely in shock. It was totally unreal and all I could think about was 'will I be able to still visit my son in Bristol?'"

"I arrived home and was met by my husband. I looked at him and simply said 'I'm afraid it's the worst'. We just fell into each other's arms and cried.

"Of course then I had to tell each of my three children. Two were away at university and the youngest was still at home so I told him first.

"He just said 'thanks for telling me, mum' and then went straight to his room. I heard him crying and it almost tore my heart out."

Frances visited her two other children in turn and told them what was happening.

"There were lots of tears and hugs but we all stayed strong and, more importantly, stayed together."

It was then that Frances used her counselling skills. "I actually counselled some of my friends in coping with my cancer," she says.

"I also used to counsel myself -- it really worked, especially on the days when I felt so very down."

By now, Frances was having radiotherapy. Doctors had told her it was an aggressive tumour which was fast-growing and could easily spread.

"But I just wanted to get on with the treatment and get back to work," she says.

However, the radiotherapy left her feeling tired. "It took three months for me to feel more like my old self."

Frances returned to work and life went on. But in the summer of 2000 she began to feel tired and sick. By Christmas she could not keep food down.

She visited her GP in January, 2001.

"Tests were taken and the next day my doctor called and asked could she come and see me. I knew it wasn't good."

The cancer had spread to her liver and doctors told her she had multiple tumours. Within days Frances was back in Christie Hospital undergoing chemotherapy.

"My hair fell out," she says. Then with typical down-to-earth practicality she adds: "So I went and ordered a wig -- it was lovely."

Frances says she discovered the organisation CancerBACUP while at Christie's.

"The information provided was invaluable. I actually made a file containing snippets of info and I found that really helped."

Frances also wrote a diary every day and says she found that incredibly therapeutic.

"I left it on the table so my family could pick it up and read it whenever they wanted.

"It gave them an insight into how I was really feeling about the cancer. I like to think it helped."

Now Frances is on "lots" of tablets. She has six-monthly scans and tells me that the tumours are shrinking.

She turns back to the window. "You should see the view in summer, it's absolutely stunning. I'm looking forward to seeing that." CANCERBACUP was set up 18 years ago to help people live with cancer by providing free information, advice and support. It has a telephone helpline which is staffed by specialist cancer nurses and its website has won an award for the quality of its information. Most callers to the CancerBACUP helpline are women aged over 45 and the charity wants to urge more men, and younger women, to get in touch. CancerBACUP helpline: 0808 800 1234, Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm. Website: www.cancerbacup.org.uk