Cancer drug 'lottery' for south Londoners'

4:21pm Saturday 4th October 2008

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Two cancer sufferers from Wandsworth were denied life prolonging drugs last year, while residents in neighbouring boroughs were awarded them, a survey has revealed.

Campaigners said the results, which vary widely across south London, confirm fears of a postcode lottery when it comes to cancer drug treatment.

Wandsworth Primary Care Trust (WPCT) received two applications for drugs, but declined both.

But residents in neighbouring boroughs had more success. Sutton and Merton PCT received 15 similar applications, and approved four and Lambeth PCT approved 10 of 15 requests.

Kensington and Chelsea PCT approved one of five requests while Richmond and Twickenham approved none of three.

The results came from a BBC poll which asked PCTs nationwide how many applications they had received from patients in the last financial year - and how many had been granted.

It focused on five specific drugs. Avastin, for colon and breast cancer. Erbitux, for colon and lung cancer. Nexavar, for renal and liver cancer. Sutent, for renal cancer and Tarceva, for lung and pancreatic cancer.

The cancer sufferers in Wandsworth applied for Sutent and Tarceva, which can prolong life for up to three months.

A spokesman for WPCT said he couldn't comment on specific cases but that any decision on treatment was taken by a committee made up of local GPs, public health doctors, community doctors, senior nurses, senior pharmacists and commissioning managers.

He said: “Since September 2008, as recommended by the South West London Cancer Network Group, Wandsworth Teaching PCT has funded Sutent for patients who do not respond to, are intolerant of, or unsuitable for the standard renal cell carcinoma treatment.

“To date, the PCT has received one request for Tarceva. The South West London Cancer Network does not currently recommend the use of this drug for those failing to respond to an initial course of chemotherapy. All PCTs in the south west London sector use the same criteria as Wandsworth.

“However, we do recognise that there may be exceptional cases in which a patient could benefit from this treatment . . . in these situations our Exceptional Circumstances Committee will carefully review each case on an individual basis and where appropriate, agree to treatment.”

Geoff Martin, of health pressure group London Emergency, said the “lottery” system needed updating.

“In the modern age it is unacceptable that access to these life changing drugs depend on where you live in London," he said. "We are not talking about some fancy extra but life and death and the difference in life expectancy. The system's a lottery”

To see the results of the survey for your area visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7629753.stm