THE family of three-year-old Madison Parton have been rocked by the news her cancer has returned – two months after being declared cancer-free.

The Sandford Hill youngster was given months to live when she was diagnosed with a rare form of childhood cancer, called rhabdomyosarcoma, 18 months ago.

Madison delighted her parents when doctors could find no trace of the tumour in March, although it has now since returned to her pelvis.

Doctors say there is just a one per cent chance that fresh treatment will cure her.

Madison's mum Annette Parton said: "I am absolutely devastated and so gutted that just as we had managed to get our lives back together, we have got to go through this disruption again."

Madison was diagnosed the first time after complaining of pains in her leg at the end of 2007.

She endured 32 weeks of intensive chemotherapy and six weeks of radiotherapy, during which she had meningitis, four bouts of pneumonia, several infections and spent most of the time in hospital.

The discovery that her cancer is back was made after the little girl suffered an infection and began feeling pain in her hip.

Scans showed that the tumour has returned but has not spread to any other parts of her body.

Madison has already had one lot of intensive chemotherapy, which she has responded well to, and is now on a 21-day break before she has a second five-day session and then another scan.

If the cancer has spread or the tumour has grown, doctors will be left with no alternative than to stop treatment and they estimate Madison will only have seven months to live.

But even if the tumour has begun to shrink, Annette, aged 33, will still have a tough decision to make.

The mother-of-three said: "The only way to stop it coming back will be to remove the left side of her hip, leaving her completely disabled.

"To think that is what you have got to do to save your daughter's life is heart-wrenching, but I will do whatever it takes to save her."

Madison's family has vowed to continue fund-raising to pay for activities to help keep her spirits up.

They have already bought a summerhouse for the garden and hope to take her to the seaside for the first time and also a trip to Disneyland Paris.

Full-time mum-of-five Dawn Kemp, who has previously helped raise money by having her head shaved, doing car washes and staging karaoke nights, said she was gutted to hear the latest news.

The 36-year-old, of Marlow Road, Sandford Hill, said: "I'll do anything I can to help raise some money again.

"I just like to think that if it was my little girl people would help me."