CANCER battler Tom Cooper has been told he must undergo intense chemotherapy after missing out on a trial drug he had been earmarked for.

The terminally-ill dad-of-two, from Lowerhouse, has already had bouts of radiotherapy on his brain after the cancer — nasopharyngeal carcinoma — spread from his throat.

And despite responding well to that treatment, doctors have told him that he needs chemotherapy on his infected lungs as soon as possible.

Mr Cooper, 26, said he struggled to play with his daughters Tienna, six and Ziani, three, becasue of his breathing problems.

He said: “Unfortunately the trial drug I was waiting for has come to a stop, and he [the doctor] didn’t know how long a wait it would be before it re-opens, and for me I couldn't wait months.

“I then told my consultant of all my aches, pains and struggles over the last couple of weeks. He examined me and went to speak with the clinical trials specialist nurse and came back to tell me it’s going to be too long a wait and, due to my scan results being not so good — my lungs being the worst, the tumours have grown quite big — I need chemotherapy as soon as possible.

“I am suffering shortness of breath a lot lately. For example, I was having a sing-along with the girls the other day and after about five words I was wheezing and could barely breathe.

“I have started to use my inhaler four times a day now when I've not touched one for about seven years.”

Mr Cooper, a former maintenance worker, is expected to start chemotherapy in the next fortnight.

Despite the setback, he intends to go on holiday to Disneyland with his wife, Tammy, and their two daughters next week.

He said: “The drugs I'm having will make me quite poorly, so I’ve got little time of feeling 'up to it' to make as many more happy memories as I can and, although I know it has to be done, I'm just gutted it’s all happening at Christmas time again.”

To donate to the Miles for Tom fundraising campaign, visit http://gogetfunding.com/ project/miles-for-tom#/ project_details.