Cancer Drug Fund's decision to delist Afinitor (everolimus)
We added our voice to call for an overhaul of the delisting process of essential cancer drugs by Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) as they announced Afinitor (everolimus) had met such a fate.
Every year in the UK, over 10,000 people learn they have kidney cancer. It is now the eighth most common cancer in the UK and accounts for 3% of all new diagnoses of cancer; it is the seventh most common type of cancer among men and tenth among women.
Whilst one of the keys to surviving kidney cancer is early diagnosis, the life-extending drugs offer the opportunity within that period for the exploration of other routes of treatments, such as new methods of surgery and joining clinical trials. Patients given a three-month survival time can live past a year.
Nick Turkentine, the charity's CEO said “We respect that the Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) are in a difficult position but we, along with most of the medical professionals, believe the whole appraisal process is fatally flawed and needs to be re-evaluated. There are no clear reasons why some drugs have been dropped from the list while other less effective treatments remain funded”.
Together with other cancer charities, we are uniting behind the common goal of effective and efficient commissioning of cancer drugs and will be working closely with NHS England, the Department of Health, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) over the coming months to develop a better process for commissioning cancer drugs.
In a letter to the Telegraph newspaper, we expressed our concerns and as the number of people living with cancer is predicted to reach a record level this year in Britain, we will strive to lobby and educate the decision makers where necessary.
The importance of spreading the word about kidney cancer
Help our charity by spreading the word and raising awareness of kidney cancer. You could become a volunteer, start a patient group, share your cancer story, raise the profile of some of our events or organise your own.
No matter what you decide to do, even a small monthly donation of £2 can help us support patients and carers, invest in training and research and make a real difference to the lives of all those affected with kidney cancer.
Save the Date!
We are delighted to announce our Annual Fundraising Gala Dinner will be held on Friday 15th May at the RAC Club in London. This year, join us and our host and founder, James Whale, for a champagne reception, followed by dinner and a live auction featuring an array of wonderful and exciting prizes!
For further information and to book your tickets please contact us here.
|