Morning:
13°c
Cancer patient told new drug is too costly
Evening Standard12.02.08
A woman with cancer has been told she is not allowed a pioneering drug because it costs too much.
Sarah Perez, from Enfield, has undergone repeated courses of chemotherapy since she first developed bowel cancer six years ago.
After a year of good health the cancer has returned and spread to her liver and lungs.
Her oncologist says the only drug that could help is Cetuximab. But Enfield Primary Care Trust will not pay for it, saying it has to balance the drug's chances of success over NHS resources.
Mrs Perez said: "I'm dying and this drug will probably help me."
The drug has been prescribed by other trusts including Barking and Dagenham.
Enfield PCT said: "The evidence was that this treatment would not benefit Mrs Perez."
Reader views (6)
Dear Sarah, RIP still missing you over year later.
- C. A. Frost, Lnodon, England
My mother has recently been diagnosed with myelodsyplasia-5q syndrome. As a family we were devastated that our mother was poorly but even more so when we were told that there was a drug to treat our mothers condition but it wasn't available and had to be applied for funding from the PCT. All this was new to us we had heard briefly of the post code lottery but didn't really understand what it all meant. When we found out that the PCT had refused my mums treatment of £35,000 a year we were devastated how could they refuse? We have since lost 2 more appeals. My mum then came in a position were we had managed to get the funds to fund the drug and when going back to the hospital we then learnt of the 'two tier system'. Were when you pay for a treatment privately you have to then pay for all your treatment. We are now waiting a decision to see if the PCT will fund the treatment again. This has taken nearly 6 months. In this time my mum has been very poorly in and out of hospital and having 19 blood transfusions, severe fatigue, heart problems and prone to chest infections(my mum already has a lung disease bronchitises which she has has for 55 years).
Were is this justice in all of this? Who has the right to decide if one person gets a drug?
Euthenasia by Finance is what I call it. We need to campaign together there's lots of people out there suffering at the hands of their PCT lets get together and make a difference.
- Angela Stevens, Blackrod, Bolton
I think it's disgusting that this patient cannot have this life saving drug. I give to many cancer charities for research and finally they find a drug. I pay my extortionate taxes for healthcare etc., so why can't the sick have the care they need. This is where I wish my hard earned cash to go and not to the benefit cheats and spongers and non tax payers who use this for their greed instead of where it should really go. I'm angry! I have worked hard and cannot afford the latest gadgets and clothing so how come the so called 'poor' have all these items. I wish the MPs would come out to the real world and see what is really going on.
- Q, Surrey
It's appalling that her Primary Care Trust won't give her the chance to live and clearly there's a post-code lottery with different PCT's approving certain medicines and others denying them. There are now a whole new range of medicines, biologic agents, which are transforming the face of medicine but the guidelines for prescribing them are woefully behind. I myself have been denied a treatment which has proven very effective but for which I have not received funding from Barnet PCT. The hospital where I am being treated are insistent that I must have it and are therefore putting in another submission. I have also put in a personal submission to my PCT describing just how awful the impact of my conditions has been on my life. People who are ill and have enough to contend with shouldn't have to wait and struggle so hard to receive what our doctors believe is medically justified and necessary. It's frustrating and time consuming for the doctors as well as their patients. Having spent 10's of £1000's in National Health Service contributions over a period of 40 years I feel that the whole thing is terribly unjust.
- F.Eissa, London, England
It makes me wonder what the outcome would be were it to be the wife of this patients MP who needed this life saving treatment. Perhaps he/she [her MP] should try and intervene this time round. This should not be a postcode lottery either which it seems to be an many cases these days. I wish this woman well and hope she gets the treatment she needs to help save her life.
- Angela, Devon, England
When will we get our priorities right in this country. Millions of pounds spent fighting other peoples wars, millions of pounds spent on the Olympics with no end of the ever-rising cost in sight, yet a woman cancer patient is denied a possible life saving drug because she is told it is too expensive. Shame on this labour government for allowing this to happen.
- A.D. Redrup, England
