Leamington mother-of-two Rachel Lawson, 58, was diagnosed with the disease four years ago.

She has never smoked and hoped the scare was over after an operation to remove the cancer from her left lung.

But in 2005, when her daughter was pregnant with her first child, it returned and has now spread to her right lung.

Mrs Lawson, who is a physiotherapist at the Leamington Rehabilitation Centre, was told by her oncologist the drug Tarceva could increase her life expectancy.

But it is not routinely funded by Warwickshire Primary Care Trust and she discovered her prescription application was rejected two weeks ago - a blow worsened by the fact she was never contacted about the decision.

She said: "When the cancer came back, I thought I had only got 14 weeks left and wouldn't see my granddaughter being born.

"But the 14 weeks came and went and it's two years since Charlotte was born and I'm still here.

"For somebody like me there is a 28 per cent chance that this drug would stop the cancer growing.

"So to find out I can't be prescribed and in this way is awful.

"I was told a letter was in the post and given the details of someone to contact, but was just passed around.

"I work for the NHS so know my way around the system, but somebody outside wouldn't have a chance."

Mrs Lawson has worked for the NHS since she started her career at Warwick Hospital and feels the post-code lottery for drugs is unfair.

She said: "If I lived 30 miles away in Birmingham I would be able to get this drug. I think the trust should give me the option of having the drug if my oncologist recommends it - you would expect the NHS to back her up.

"I have paid into the NHS - it is not a local health service - and that puts it in a nutshell.

"I am going to appeal against the decision not just for me, but for everyone else being denied it."

Her daughter Emma Reddin, 30, said: "I was very upset and surprised when I found out, but more so for mum and how she was feeling and how that affects the time we have got left together.

"Charlotte is two next week and loves her gran so much. I don't understand why some health authorities are prescribing it, but others aren't.

"There is no guarantee it would extend her life, but you have got to try everything. You want to see the NHS doing everything it can to increase the length of her life rather than stepping back and doing nothing."

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is currently recommending that Tarceva is not used to treat lung cancer.

But this preliminary decision is being appealed against. Medical director of the Pan Birmingham Cancer Network Dr Donald Milligan said that although the network and trusts in that area are supporting its use at the moment, they will be bound by the final decision from NICE.

A Warwickshire NHS Trust spokesperson said NICE does not currently recommend the use of Tarceva for this type of lung cancer.