RandyW Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 Cancer Research UK "disappointed" at Tarceva decision THURSDAY 16 NOVEMBER 2006 Cancer Research UK has expressed its disappointment at the preliminary decision of medical regulator Nice to not make lung-cancer drug Tarceva available on the NHS. While not a cure, the drug is one of the only significant advances in the past decade against 'non-small cell' lung cancer ? an aggressive and hard-to-treat form of the disease . Alex Markham, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said that Tarceva had been shown to significantly extend the lives of non-small cell lung cancer patients. "The results of ongoing clinical trials using Tarceva - funded by Cancer Research UK and others - are expected to reveal further important comparative information about the likely benefits of the drug," said Professor Markham. "In the meantime we believe the drug should continue to be made available to those who could benefit from it. "Tarceva is used as a standard treatment in many other European countries. It is also available to certain patients in Scotland and it would be incomprehensible for such a drug to be available to patients in Edinburgh but not Newcastle." Professor Markham added that Cancer Research UK would write to Nice expressing its opposition and calling for a reappraisal of its decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyW Posted November 17, 2006 Author Share Posted November 17, 2006 Kinda makes you appreciate our system even with all its flaws sometimes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geri Posted November 17, 2006 Share Posted November 17, 2006 My sister's friend (they all live in England) couldn't get the chemo she needed free because the NHS wasn't paying for it in her area - she could have had it in Wales and Scotland but not England! My Uncle is going through the same thing and my Aunt keeps telling me that if I still lived there I would have been dead a long time ago. Seems the NHS doesn't believe in preventative medicine either, so if you want most of the screening that we take for granted you have to pay for it or wait until they think you're old enough to need it. God Bless the British National Health! Geri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j ross Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 Yes I am so angry and noone seems to really care. Yes it stinks and you are lucky to live in the US. I used to support the nhs now I think our current government is without morals. We are fairly fortunate in that Barry over the years and through working has share options etc so ,so far we are able to afford a treatment. He must be the only lung cancer patient getting avastin at the moment but if needed for maintanence I not yet sure what will happen. I have tried to start a campain via the roy castle site but have not have a single reply so maybe everyone is too ill to care. Jennie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandyW Posted November 18, 2006 Author Share Posted November 18, 2006 prayers ands hugs for all of our members over there!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trish2418 Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 Praying the NHS comes to its senses. Trish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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