NHS rationing body refuses drug for women with advanced ovarian cancer

[Northerner]

Women with advanced ovarian cancer will not receive the first life-extending drug in 15 years to treat the disease after the NHS rationing body said that its potential benefits did not outweigh its high cost.

New draft guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) means that Avastin will not be available on the NHS in cases where advanced ovarian cancer has returned at least six months after the woman has undergone platinum-based chemotherapy.

"In this instance the appraisal committee concluded that, although bevacizumab [Avastin] may help to delay the spread of a patient's cancer for a limited time, the evidence did not show that bevacizumab justifies its very high cost and could not be recommended", said Sir Andrew Dillon, Nice's chief executive.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/feb/01/nhs-refuses-drug-women-cancer

 

[trophywench]

So emotive.

It's hard. But you know there are ways of looking at this on an individual basis. For instance, my own mum had ovarian cancer, she was 70-odd and she already had senile dementia.

Even to me as her child - that's entirely different to a woman who has young kiddies at home.

It may well be that no-one has the right to differentiate between the two - but that means everyone loses out without exception and I'm afraid that fact makes me plump for the first option .....