Cancer care
Monday, 14 May 2007 13:55
Could some cancer drugs be too expensive for the NHS?
Doctors have expressed concern today about the future of cancer treatment in the NHS.
Cancer specialists reported fears that the NHS will not be able to afford the next generation of drugs to treat the disease.
In a survey conducted by the BBC, 180 doctors said that they were worried or very worried about the situation.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) assesses which drugs should be made available on the NHS and has to make often controversial decisions about what is offered based on how cost effective the drugs are.
Some, such as Herceptin for breast cancer, have been approved, while others including Tarceva for lung cancer, have been turned down.
In the BBC survey the cancer specialists also warned that some patients offering to pay for a cancer drug are being told they would have to meet all their care costs to prevent a two-tier system developing in the NHS.
InTheNews.co.uk brings you all the key responses and comment on the issue throughout the day.