Fight for cancer drug hits Assembly

A WOMAN fighting for a cancer drug to treat her seriously-ill dad has taken her call for action to the Assembly.

Joanne Popham wants Sutent to be made available immediately, so it can prolong the life of patients.

Under current plans, the drug may not be available until next Spring — but campaigners say those wasted months will cost lives.

Miss Popham presented a petition containing almost 8,000 names to AMs Dai Lloyd and Bethan Jenkins, calling on the Assembly to do all it can to allow Welsh patients access to the treatment as soon as possible.

The 39-year-old said: "There are people who need this treatment now — evidence shows that this drug works.

"Sutent can prolong lives, and allow patients more time with their families.

"This is not just a fight for my father but for all patients who need this treatment now and who cannot wait."

Miss Popham's dad, Paul, from Ullswater Crescent in Morriston, first started to suffer kidney failure problems back in 1979. In 2005 he was told he had a cancerous tumour on his kidney.

In August, the former Alcoa fitter and turner was told it had spread and that chemotherapy could do nothing to stop it — he was told he had just nine months to live.

Though not a cure, Sutent can prolong the life of people with kidney cancer. But treatment costs around £30,000 a year.

It is not widely available on the NHS, and an application by Mr Popham to Swansea Local Health Board for the drug was turned down. In a letter to Mr Popham's consultant, Jane Harrison, medical director of Swansea Local Health Board, 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."

The Pophams are appealing against that decision, and their appeal is due to be considered on January 6.

Government medicine watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) is expected to discuss the drug when its appraisal committee meets in January. It is expected Nice will give Sutent the green light to be used more generally.

A Welsh Assembly Government spokeswoman said: "The decision on whether treatment should be available is determined at local level, based on the needs of individual patients and the advice of local clinicians.

"We are still awaiting final guidance from Nice on Sutent."