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Improved cancer drugs too expensive for NHSDate: 14/05/2007 09:25:41
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Cancer sufferers could soon be forced to pay for their own treatment, doctors have warned.
According to research carried out by the BBC, many cancer specialists now fear a new generation of more expensive cancer drugs will prove too costly for many NHS trusts and patients may be forced to cover the costs themselves.
Speaking to cancer medics, the BBC found that 180 were worried or very worried about the lack of drug provision by the NHS.
Drugs like Herceptin used to treat breast cancer have been given backing from NICE, the body that gives the go-ahead to the NHS to use the treatments.
However other drugs such as Tarceva, which has been proven to extend the lives of lung cancer patients, have been deemed to expensive.
Talking to the BBC, Nick James, professor of clinical oncology in Birmingham, said the situation looked set to get worse.
He said: "The drugs in the pipeline are going to cause even more pressure. I think politicians need to be honest and say this gap is going to be there and we need to look at ways of filling it."
Department of Health regulations stipulate that allowing patients to contribute towards NHS care is against their principles and could lead to a two-tier system.
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