Rose Harrison, 59, of Barlby, near Selby, has been told by doctors she is dying of kidney cancer and her only chance of survival was to take the drug Sunitinib, also known as Sutent, which could extend her life by up to five years.

But the ailing grandmother was refused funding by North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust (PCT), despite patients in neighbouring County Durham and Teesside being approved for treatment.

Mrs Harrison and her husband, Ronald, 60, have now spent their life savings on treatment.

Mr Harrison has given up his job as a builder to care for his wife and has spent more than £4,000 on Sunitinib. He said they would remortgage their house and sell their possessions if necessary.

"We can't wait for an appeal against the PCT's decision because we want her to start the treatment as soon as possible, so we've paid £4,367 for the first 28 tablets," he said.

"They will last a month, but she could need more. I'm getting £48 a week in carers' allowance and Rose is getting £109 a week in disability allowance. This drug is costing us £1,000 a week.

"It makes me so angry. We've worked our whole lives and never claimed for anything. I know it's not a cure, but if it extends her life by five years then who knows what is possible?"

Mrs Harrison was diagnosed with kidney cancer in April and has undergone surgery and chemotherapy.

The couple have the support of her consultant at York Hospital and will appeal against the funding refusal.

Another cancer patient, Barbara Selby, from Richmond, also is pressing the PCT for Sunitinib. The former nurse is being treated at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough alongside patients from the North East prescribed Sunitinib.

In July the North East and Cumbria Cancer Drug Approvals Group agreed Sunitinib should be used, pending guidance from the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice), as an initial treatment for kidney cancer patients.

This week it agreed to extend use of the drug after initial treatment.

North Yorkshire and York PCT medical director Dr David Geddes said in the absence of a recommendation from Nice, the trust had to decide whether to pay for Sunitinib based on evidence of the drug's effectiveness.

"In March 2007, the PCT's high-cost treatments board recommended Sunitinib should not be routinely funded by the PCT," he said.

"This decision is in line with other local and national commissioning bodies such as the Scottish Medicines Consortium and the West Yorkshire Commissioning Group for Medicines. This policy is regularly reviewed."

Dr Geddes said a consultant has the option to apply to the PCT's clinical exceptions panel if he or she feels a patient could benefit from a drug not routinely funded by the PCT, and added: "As part of that process the PCT is always willing to review individual cases."

North Yorkshire and York's stance on Sunitinib is in line with other PCTs in the region, including Leeds PCT.

East Riding of Yorkshire PCT will consider individual cases and has approved two applications for funding of the drug Sutent since October last year.