Specialist Urges NHS to Redirect Cancer Drug Spending
A prominent cancer specialist has asserted that the large sums of money spent by the National Health Service on a drug designed to treat breast cancer could, instead, be injected into other forms of therapy. The drug in question, Herceptin, had 100 million pounds spent on it last year, said the health service's chief radiotherapy spokesman, Dr Peter Kirkbride. However, he added, it had only been beneficial to around 500 cancer patients.
If alternatively, he said, this kind of spending was directed towards radiotherapy, the impact could be significant.
Dr Kirkbride's comments were made during The Investigation programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
Even taking into account recent refinements, the number of patients that survive cancer in the UK remains below the average survival rate for Europe.
Cancer Drug Herceptin Approved Last Year for Breast Cancer Patients
Herceptin's approval was granted in 2006, after having been fast-tracked by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). The approval refers to its use in female patients with breast cancer in its initial form.
Dr Kirkbride stated: "There is a lot of publicity about the role of chemotherapy but the consensus is (that) of all cancers that are cured, half are cured by surgeries, 40% by radiotherapy and only 10% by drugs.
He added: "If I was to spend 100 million on radiotherapy, I could buy something like 90 machines, I could buy 30 simulators and I could probably benefit about 30,000 patients for the same amount of money."
Advisory Group Report Urged for Radiotherapy Treatment Increase
Earlier in 2007, a report was published by the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group urging for the number of radiotherapy treatments carried out in England to increase by 91 per cent over the coming decade. However, according to one industry source, less radiotherapy devices are now being sold than before the group's call was made.
According to Dr Kirkbride, "(radiotherapists) don't have pharmaceutical companies backing us in the same way that some of the drugs companies support campaigns for the use of their drugs."
In the eyes of the National Cancer Director, Professor Mike Richards, however, funding for cancer treatments should be aimed at both drugs and therapy. "There is no doubt that Herceptin is a good drug", he said.
"There is no doubt that it has been looked at carefully by NICE and it has been deemed to be both effective and cost-effective. Radiotherapy is also effective and we need to make sure that it's not one or the other, but that we actually have a service that delivers both."
Source - Pharmaceutical International's Health Reporter
Recent related News Items:
Report Suggests Breast Cancer Chemo Drug Ineffective
Alzheimer's Drugs Proposed for Breast Cancer Patients
Genetic Research May Benefit Breast Cancer Patients
Complimentary Medicine Offers Relief to Breast Cancer Sufferers
Further Resources - Products and Services:
