Hello Elle83, 

I am so sorry to hear your friend has been diagnosed and I can understand why she would want to have her treatment in Italy to be close to her support network. You can find out more on our website about having cancer treatment abroad including information on the planned treatment scheme and you can read all the details about the eligibility criteria on the NHS website. This should give you all the information you need on how to apply. 

I hope this helps a little and that you will hear from the experiences of others on here who have applied before and that they will be able to enlighten you further. 

Feel free also to get in touch with our cancer nurses on this free number 0808 800 4040 if you wanted to ask them for further advice or guidance on having treatment abroad - their helpline is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. 

Best wishes, 

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator