'My dad needs cancer drug ban lifted now'
A SWANSEA woman says plans to lift a ban on a drug that could give her dad extra time with his family need to come into force now — rather than next year.
Joanne Popham has warned that making the kidney cancer drug Sutent available on the NHS would next year could be too little too late.
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Her dad Paul Popham, of Ullswater Crescent, Morriston, has been given less than nine months to live after being told chemotherapy would do nothing to tackle his kidney cancer.
Despite his daughter managing to raise a 7,516-name petition calling for Sutent to be available free for patients and lobbying Swansea Local Health Board to fund her dad's treatment — his case was rejected.
Jane Harrison, medical director of Swansea Local Health Board, in a letter to Mr Popham's consultant John Wagstaff, said: "Based on this assessment, the panel felt it could not fund the use of sunitinib (Sutent) as the evidence was too weak for reasonable conclusions to be reached at present."
But although sources at government watchdog National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) say Sutent will be given the green light when its appraisal committee holds its final meeting to discuss the drug on January 14, Miss Popham said her 63-year-old dad needed the drug now.
She said: "It's far too little too late. Nice did promise the treatment would be available in August — is it really going to be available in January?
"It is all great and wonderful if it happens but my father is suffering today. Why can't it be made available today?"
The 39-year-old said her dad had even considered funding his treatment by remortgaging the family home, as the drug costs around £30,000 a year.
Cancer specialists believe the drug could benefit about half of the 7,000 people a year who are diagnosed with kidney cancer and prolong their lives.
Mr Popham first started to suffer kidney failure problems back in 1979, but in 2005 he was told he had a cancerous tumour on his kidney and in August of this year it had emerged it had spread.
A spokeswoman for Nice said the organisation was looking again at the drug because "there was more evidence submitted during a couple of periods of the appraisal process by manufacturers, which needs to be discussed by the (appraisal) committee.
"We will publish a next draft within four weeks of the meeting in January and issue final guidance in March 2009," she added.
9 Comments
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by m.clarke, swansea
Sunday, December 07 2008, 1:43AM
“this is disgustin a british man
got wait so long for cancer help
money always the case but lots
of money other countrys and rich bank bosses”
by Clive Stone, Witney
Friday, December 05 2008, 9:36AM
“I also have kidney cancer and have been campaigning for months both locally and at the NICE HQ in London for Sutent. I belong to a support group of 40 patients in Oxford where most have paid a lifetime of taxes, many have donated blood to the NHS and many of us remain untreated with the only effective drug - Sutent. What has happened to the Human Rights of the basic taxpayer/citizen of this once great country? Cash has been poured into the wasteful NHS system which has been squandered by 152 PCTs with their top heavy mangement/administration costs. The surplus of £1.75 BILLION in the NHS is to be clawed back by the Treasury which should have been spent on patients. It is our money after all! What is the point of all the excellent drug research in this country if the benefits go to all the other western countries? Sutent is even available in Rumania! One has to ask if the NHS is really "fit for purpose", and is NICE cost effective? I am afraid it does look as though we have completely lost sight of common humanity for our fellow man/woman as we are now too tied up with systems of due process rather than the Duty of Care for patients who just happen to have this cruel illness. I wish this family every success in their fight for justice.”
by JohnW, Swansea
Thursday, December 04 2008, 5:28PM
“The real question is why do these drugs cost so much in the first place? Yes, pharmacutical companies do spend millions developing a drug. But how do they then continue to charge the same amount per dose even after covering these costs and making a reasonable profit? Because Governments allow then too that's why! Why not (inter) nationalise a drug for the benefit of mankind? My thoughts are with you Mr Popham.”
by carol, Swansea
Thursday, December 04 2008, 1:40PM
“Then you have to get passed the Local Health Board...who so far have refused funding this drug to anyone.
My sister had no treatment for her kidney cancer, the only way forward was Sutent, even then LHB refused to fund it...We lost Margaret in September
WHY can`t these patients have this drug NOW not next year, then will be too late for a lot of patients”
by Clare, Neath
Thursday, December 04 2008, 1:36PM
“It is shocking that this poor man is being denied this drug after paying his contributions all his life. Why on earth should he have to re-mortgage his home that he has no doubt worked hard to pay for to purchase essential drugs?.
I appreciate funds are limited but for goodness sake we are talking about life here and I for one would be happy to pay for my prescriptions and increase my NI contirbutions if it meant people in this country could get the treatment they need, when they needed it. I hope the family stay strong and win, best wishes to you all.”