MP Presses Local NHS to allow Life Saving New Cancer Drugs

11.06.00am GMT Mon 18th Jun 2007

Vincent Cable MP is pressing the local NHS Primary Care Trusts to take a more flexible approach towards the use of new cancer drugs, like Erbitux, which has good prospects for bowel cancer patients.

He has taken up the issue on behalf of Twickenham's 29 year old Adam Griffin, who is currently receiving chemotherapy for bowel cancer at the Royal Marsden and who has been told Erbitux could be crucial to saving his life. But NICE, the agency which decides whether new drugs should be available on the NHS, is currently refusing to allow it except under 'exceptional circumstances'. Two other bowel cancer patients in their 20s have been refused the drug in other parts of London and are not expected to live. The only other option for Mr Griffin, and other patients, is to go private and this would cost a prohibitive £55,000 with a possible repeat, doubling the cost, way beyond his means.

Vincent Cable said: "Bowel cancer is becoming the biggest killer amongst cancers and is a threat to young men especially. So far no one has succeeded in overturning the NICE ruling on this drug but on a life and death matter like this we must keep fighting. There is an agreement that 'exceptional circumstances' are considered for treatment: but what is more exceptional than a young man with his life in front of him?"

Vincent Cable expressed concern that "there are growing numbers of cases locally of people being denied life saving cancer drugs, and other drugs like Lucentis which prevents blindness. This takes us to the heart of a fundamental dilemma over the rationing of NHS treatment: who makes the rationing decisions? Who decides what the priorities are? At present these crucial decisions are not taken either by the doctors of by local or national elected representatives but within the NHS bureaucracy. This cannot be right."