Although Zac was given the all-clear in February 2011, a follow-up scan in May in Germany revealed three diseased lymph nodes in his abdomen. Drug treatment failed and the family were told in December that further surgery was required.
While a surgeon was available at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre on December 22, there were no paediatric beds available until January 19.
Miss Knighton complained and was offered an operation at Leicester on January 4, but this was cancelled at short notice due to a lack of beds.
"I phoned the consultant in Germany and he could do it right away," Miss Knighton, 43, told the Daily Mail.
"I just got straight on the phone to book flights. It was my son's life and I didn't care how much it cost.
"Every day counts with this disease and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if the NHS delay cost him his life," she said.
"I feel the NHS has let my son down at every stage. It is incredible that I have to go to Germany. It is disgusting that this country doesn't offer everything it can do to save these children. It's like we live in a third world country.
"I just hope we are in time. It could already be too late. I dread to think what would have happened if we'd stayed in England."
Johannes Visser, a consultant paediatric oncologist at Leicester Royal Infirmary responsible for Zac's treatment since 2009 said: "Unfortunately, our unit was extraordinarily busy with critically ill children needing help to breathe, so his operation was rescheduled."
A spokesman for Nottingham University Hospitals said: "The first date we offered for Zac's operation was January 19, which the family have chosen not to accept, and therefore we haven't cancelled any surgery."
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