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Esther Rantzen Says Cancer Drug Has Failed as Assisted-Dying Push Faces Lords Hold-Up

She links a likely trip to Dignitas to the assisted-dying bill’s stall in the House of Lords.

Overview

  • The 85-year-old broadcaster writes that the targeted medication keeping her alive has stopped working and that a scan this week will show how far the cancer has spread.
  • She says she does not expect to live long enough to see the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill enacted.
  • Assisted dying remains illegal in the UK, with a maximum 14-year sentence for helping someone to end their life.
  • The bill passed the House of Commons in June 2025 but is stuck at Lords committee stage, where about 1,000 amendments have been tabled.
  • A long-time advocate who registered with Dignitas in 2024, Rantzen says she would travel to Switzerland alone if her suffering becomes unbearable.