Dismay over cancer drug guidance

Advanced lung cancer is difficult to treat

Campaigners have expressed dismay at signs a lung cancer drug will not be approved for NHS use in England, even though it is available in Scotland.

Draft National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance concludes Tarceva would not be a good use of NHS resources.

The drug is used to treat non-small cell lung cancer.

Cancer charities expressed disappointment, saying thousands of patients could benefit from the drug.

It would be incomprehensible for such a drug to be available to patients in Edinburgh but not Newcastle Professor Alex Markham Cancer Research UK

The NICE guidance is not final, and is now open to consultation.

Professor Alex Markham, of the charity Cancer Research UK, said Tarceva was used as a standard treatment in many European countries, and was widely available in Scotland.

He said ongoing trials were also likely to provide evidence of the drug's worth.

Significant advance

He said: "Non-small cell lung cancer is very difficult to treat, and Tarceva is one of the few significant advances against the condition to emerge over the last decade.

"While not a cure, the drug can significantly extend the lives of patients with this form of lung cancer.

"It would be incomprehensible for such a drug to be available to patients in Edinburgh but not Newcastle.

Mike Unger, of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said patients had been recommended the drug by their GPs, but were unable to get it.

Linda Gordon, 47, who is suffering from lung cancer, has been forced to fund an initial dose of Tarceva herself as she has been refused funding by Bromley Primary Care Trust.

Her consultant oncologist has described her as "absolutely the ideal patient to be treated with this agent".

Ms Gordon said: "It's unbelievable that NHS resources can be given as the reason to deny me the drugs that my doctor thinks I should have.

"Before taking Tarveva I was breathless and couldn't even have a normal conversation or eat without coughing continuously.

"The effects were so bad that I would choke on my food, that doesn't happen at all now.

"My quality of life has improved so much and that is not only good for me but also less stressful for my relatives."

Nice considered Tarceva alongside another drug for non-small cell lung cancer, Alimta.

Two drugs

Andrew Dillon, NICE chief executive, said neither had been shown to be more effective than other commonly used, cheaper alternatives.

He said: "Our initial assessment of the evidence shows that neither of these drugs represents a good use of scarce NHS resources."

Mr Dillon said the appraisal committee had asked Roche, the makers of Tarceva, for further information about the drug.

Tarceva, known technically as erlotinib, is one of a new generation of so-called biological therapies.

It stops cancer cells growing by blocking the action of a growth factor to which the cells are especially sensitive.