Macmillan responds to NICE’s decision not to recommend lung cancer drug

Responding to the decision by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) not to recommend Erlotinib as a treatment for non-small-cell lung cancer, Mike Hobday, Head of Policy at Macmillan Cancer Support, said:

“This is very disappointing news, particularly as lung cancer has one of the lowest survival outcomes of any cancer [1].

“Every cancer patient should get the drugs their doctor recommends, regardless of what type of cancer they have, or where they live. It is unacceptable this isn’t always happening at present.

“To ensure all cancer patients get better access to treatments, it is vital that this cancer drug and those for rarer cancers [2] are placed on the priority list of the Government’s Cancer Drugs Fund.”

For more information and support call Macmillan free on 0808 808 00 00 or visit please visit www.macmillan.org.uk/cancerdrugs

References

1. Office for National Statistics. Cancer Survival. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/nugget.asp?ID=861 (Accessed June 2011)
2. Rarer cancers are ‘other cancers’ and exclude the four most common cancers (prostate, colorectal, lung and breast (female) cancers) and non-melanoma skin cancer.