A Willington grandmother's malignant tumour in her breast has almost disappeared after she took cannabis oil in a medical success story which could lead to a Government funding trial, it has been claimed.

Lin Coxon, who is South Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler's personal assistant, is now sharing her story with the Government to see if the state will fund a medical trial testing cannabis oil on patients while they are awaiting cancer treatment.

She was diagnosed with the disease at the Royal Derby Hospital on June 28 when a scan, which revealed the size of the lump, found it had also invaded her nearby lymph nodes. The tumour eventually grew to 33mm.

Lin was told her treatment would involve eight rounds of chemotherapy followed by a lumpectomy and the removal of all the lymph nodes. This would then have to be followed by radiotherapy.

But while waiting for treatment to start in August the 69-year-old read how, in some cases, cannabis oil had been found to help treat cancer. She immediately bought some in Ashbourne and began taking it.

Lin Coxon started taking the cannabis oil after she was diagnosed with a cancerous tumour

Incredibly her last scan revealed the cancer has completely gone from her lymph nodes while the tumour is hardly visible.

She said doctors at the hospital were fascinated by her case and were continuing to monitor her progress even though she isn't going ahead with the chemotherapy as originally suggested.

Lin said: "I feel fantastic and can tell it has almost gone. Before it felt like a hard lump but after a few weeks of taking the oil it had shrunk so much I couldn't feel it. Now it's almost gone and, on the scan, you could see how the density has changed from something that looked solid where now the only bit that is left looks like a tiny bit of smoke.

"I bought cannabis oil from a health shop in Ashbourne and decided to take a few drops - I didn't have anything to lose as I was waiting for my chemotherapy to start so thought I may as well give it a try. I am so glad I did.

"The doctors are still monitoring me and said if it did come back I would have to have chemotherapy and of course I would but I just want to see how it goes now.

"In fact at my last appointment the doctors said the tumour was so small they could to a lumpectomy to get it out - but I said let's just see how the oil works for a bit longer.

"Since I spoke of my initial success with the oil in October I have been contacted by other people who have had similar positive experiences, so I really think there is something in it.

"I cannot say cannabis oil will work for anyone else but my experience would seem to show it is worth trying. I feel people have nothing to lose especially if they are waiting for chemotherapy. It may only help for some cancers - we won't know though until research takes place."

Lin is now urging the Government to take notice of her case and she has written to Steve Brine MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and primary care, asking about funding a trial in Derby allowing patients diagnosed with cancer and waiting for treatment to take the oil in the meantime if they wanted to.

The hospital could then scan them before they had treatment to see if taking the oil had had any effect.

Researchers are looking in to the health benefits of cannabis oil

She said: "I just think it has to be looked into further as more people could be helped without the need for medical intervention - and, if that is the case, it would also save the NHS a lot of money."

The grandmother-of-ten said she was inspired to try the cannabis oil after reading in the Burton Mail's sister site, The Derby Telegraph , how it had helped Sinfin Asda worker Karen Roberts.

She was sent home to die with terminal cancer but took the oil - and now two years later is in remission.

Lin bought the oil, which is legal and sold minus the psychoactive component that causes a high, at a health shop in Ashbourne. It cost a £39 a bottle. She has a few drops each day and a bottle lasts her 10 days.

The oil has not yet been approved for use on the NHS - but is readily available to buy online as a food supplement - although it has been widely reported to help other conditions such as arthritis, depression and MS.

Research into the health benefits of taking cannaboids - particularly for cancer - is currently being undertaken at St George's, University of London, and the medical experts there have been in contact with Lin.

Dr Wai Liu, senior research fellow at St George's, University of London, said: "I was very interested to hear of Lin's case. Cannabidiol, which is just one element of the cannabis plant and one that does not have any psychoactive effect on people, has been shown to target communication signals that are malfunctioning in cancer cells.

"It is thought that, by correcting these signals, we can enable cancer cells to essentially die rather than duplicate. So it may hold the key to understanding how to defeat cancer in some areas.

Lin Coxon has seen the tumour shrink dramatically since taking the cannabis oil

"We at St George's, University of London, have shown how this can be done.

"Although our data has mainly been laboratory-based, we have a growing and large collection of testimony from patients using cannabidiol, usually in a cannabis oil type product, who report positive effects on their battle with this dreadful disease.

"Lin's story is one that adds to this growing list and we wish her all the best in her treatment which should always be under the supervision of her doctors."