CANCER sufferer Deborah Wills has received the sort of good news that just months ago she feared was impossible.

Less than six months ago Mrs Wills feared she only had a short time to live when specialists told her that her rare form of cancer had returned.

She had undergone a special light and drugs treatment for the cancer, which brings her out in red sores all over her body, and had hoped to go into remission.

In February it seemed the treatment had failed and doctors were reluctant to try again as it would affect her internal organs. But on Friday when she saw her specialist again she was told that despite receiving no extra treatment she was now in remission.

"It is almost like a miracle. The doctor was very puzzled but put it down to delayed remission," she said. "For the first time in ages I can start to look to the future. We are planning a holiday to St Lucia in the autumn.

"I had started to feel better and the sores had gone so I was hoping for good news but I didn't like to hope too much. The doctor couldn't really explain why it had happened.

He seemed very surprised but has said I don't need to return for another six months which is much better news than I could have expected."

Mrs Wills, 44, of The Gibb near Castle Combe, who works for North Wiltshire District Council, received tremendous support after the Gazette revealed her condition in February.

Mrs Wills and her husband Geoff, 47, won a Valentine's competition run by the Chippenham's Borough Parade and had a romantic dinner the night before she was given the devastating news.

She had calls and letters from people who offered support and advice.

"People have been fantastic," she said. "Lots of people have said they are praying for me and while I am not overly religious myself it is nice to know people are lighting candles and praying. One elderly lady from Monkton Park wrote to me and said she had been diagnosed with an incurable cancer when she was middle aged and now she was in her 80s."

If the news had been bad on Friday Mrs Wills would have been referred to St Thomas' in London for a last ditch battle to beat the cancer.

But now she is starting to think about the future. She has lost both her father and sister to cancer but has always tried to stay positive despite being told she was living on borrowed time and there was no cure.

The only way she can eke out her future is by having as few as possible of the light treatments known as PUBA.

"I have had 28 already and you can only have 250 so I have to use them up as slowly as possible so they last as long as possible."

Mr and Mrs Wills have no children but do have 16 pedigree cats. Breeding the British Short Hairs has been one of the things that has helped Mrs Wills put her illness out of her mind.

The holiday will be the first the couple have had for ten years. In the past it has been impossible to leave the cats but now a cat sitter has come forward to help them.

Mrs Wills was diagnosed last year after suffering from skin problems. Doctors did a biopsy and three weeks later she was told she had cancer.

Her treatment left her feeling ill and at one time she nearly gave up but was persuaded to carry on.

In February she was prescribed steroids but these too made her feel bad and so for the past five months has taken no medication.

She said: "I will have to go back to the hospital just after the holiday but I am determined to make the most of it.''