A teenager fighting a deadly type of cancer has been enjoying life back at school before she travels to the US to undergo a new treatment.

Kira Noble, who is battling Neuroblastoma for the third time, has welcomed her fourth year at Firrhill high school as a break from her gruelling hospital visits.

During what many students would describe as a demanding time, the 15-year-old sees her exam year as "a chance to being treated like a normal teenager".

Kira, from Edinburgh, has enjoyed three months back on campus after being absent for eight months due to her surgery and treatments.

She said: "I'm enjoying school at the moment, it's a lot of work obviously as I'm in my exam year now.

"I like seeing my friends, that's what I like. I like seeing all of them and just catching up and being treated like a normal teenager for once. It's nice."

Her mum, Aud, added: "When you've been institutionalised as we have been for such a long period of time, it's just so big.

"I mean the little things that exist in life are big things."

Earlier this year almost £500,000 was raised in a few short weeks to allow Kira to have life saving surgery on her Neuroblastoma tumour in the US.

Despite the success of the surgery in New York, relapsed Neuroblastoma is known for it's aggressive nature and a recent scan has shown a new lesion just outside of her pancreas.

Kira said: "I'm happy as it isn't in the pancreas but it's a bit of a pain in the backside that it's come up.

"I will fight it again and get rid of it and I'll be clear once again."

Doctors have decided the next step is for Kira to head back to America for Proton Beam Therapy in New Jersey which is a less intrusive form of radiotherapy.

Kira said: "I'm glad it's not a surgery because obviously I've had four major surgeries in the space of about three years.

"So that's a lot to handle and I don't think my body could take another surgery, if I'm completely honest.

"It will hopefully be, not an easy treatment but an easier treatment to a surgery.

"I was thinking I'd get back to normal life and that would be it but you know stuff happens and you've just got to deal with it.

"Especially after my last chemo I had awful side effects to the point I could hardly walk anywhere, I was having trouble with going to toilets, anything you could think of, I basically had.

"So knowing that hopefully I won't be as ill or it will just be a nicer treatment is just much better because I can't tolerate a lot anymore.

"I think the whole fact of eventually I will get back to normality, hang out with my pals and just living my life to the fullest is just what keeps me going everyday."

Aud added: "I think what we've got to keep in mind is the cumulative effect that already exists as a result of all these ongoing treatments that Kira has had so far.

"So it's with caution that we're moving forward.

"But I always keep my hope stronger than my fear."

The family are due to fly out to America next week and fortunately, as so much money was raised earlier this year, Kira's £67,000 treatment is already covered.

Aud said: "To be able to select the best possible treatment for Kira, whilst not having the added pressure of raising funds, is incredible.

"Thank you is not a big enough word to begin to describe the magnitude of our gratitude to everyone for their huge efforts."