I just like to raise my concerns about cancer charities. After reading BCC statement on the decission of NICE about Lapatinib I can say I don’t feel support by the organization. I am appalled to know that that lady, I can’t remember her name, Ann something, took her hospital to court to ger life saving drug Herceptin. That should be the task and aim of cancer charities. Don’t you see that in the majority European public hospital patients have access to newer drugs?, why do you close your eyes to the fact that the survival rates in U.K are one of the worst in Europe?. Don’t you think than the reason for that is not the British weather but the horrible management and decissions of NICE, the horrible secreanning programmes and so on?.
I am sorry but I don’t feel suppor by BCC as I expected. What are your views on this ladies
PS I signed the petition and posted on this yesterday only find out today that that post has now disappeared, this seems to happen a lot and is very frustrating.
Hi, and a huge well done to all the forum members who has brought this to everyone’s attention.
I must admit I was quite surprised and also disappointed by the BCC response. I looked at the BBC link and couldn’t see how this might be a good thing for patients?
xx
It was a little weak, since it could have gone a bit more into whether lapatinib met the new government rules; however, it should also be kept in mind that lapatinib has not yet shown that it is life-saving and it came in tens of thousands pounds above NICE’s cost effectiveness cutoff. If lapatinib were more effective or if Glaxo lowered the price it would be much easier for BCC to make a case for it.
The quango is an altogether more serious matter, since it threatens to keep cancer patients from getting treatments that meet current cost-effectiveness standards, with no more of a rationale than that cancer treatments are expensive. This quango is clearly discriminatory against cancer patients. Also, some of the language used was ageist (pitting cancer patients against babies). If this quango is successful, it could allow the PCTs to block future innovative life-saving treatments for cancer patients. It must be stopped.