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Cancer Pill on NHS After Nurse's Win

Posted on: Thursday, 6 October 2005, 06:00 CDT

By EXCLUSIVE By RICHARD SMITH and LORRAINE FISHER

CANCER victim Barbara Clark told yesterday of her joy that a new wonder drug is to be prescribed on the NHS.

The Government's decision to give Herceptin to patients with early-stage breast cancer was revealed by the Daily Mirror yesterday.

Just 24 hours earlier, mum-of-two Barbara, 49, won a legal battle for the pounds 20,000 cost of her treatment to be paid by her health authority. She said: "I feel unbridled joy that my case has given hope to other women. I am so pleased common sense has prevailed."

The Government is set to spend pounds 100million making the drug available, saving up to 1,000 women's lives a year.

Nurse Barbara, of Bridgwater, Somerset, said: "If you knew of a drug that gave you a one in two chance of survival wouldn't you want to try it?

"Hundreds of people have been in touch to say how delighted they are for me.

"This cancer is so aggressive that it can return quickly after chemotherapy.

"I have no illusions that without it I would be dead within a year. Now my foster son and I have a future.

"It is available in France, Germany and Italy. So why wasn't the Government going to let it be used here?"

Herceptin can increase life expectancy by 50 per cent. The "smart" pill seeks and destroys only diseased tissue.

Joanne Rule of CancerBACUP said: "It's an important step in the right direction."

Source: Daily Mirror

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