UCATT demands better asbestos treatment
UCATT demands better asbestos treatment
Construction union UCATT is demanding official approval for a drug experts say is the best treatment for people with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has indicated that it will advise that the chemotherapy drug Alimta should not be used. It is currently available throughout Scotland, but in most parts of England those wanting the treatment have to obtain it privately at a cost of at least £24,000. The NHS can provide the treatment for just £7,000, Alan Ritchie, general secretary of UCATT, said: 'It is sickening that NICE could even consider a postcode lottery on easing the suffering of people dying from a horribly painful disease, developed at work through no fault of their own.' He added: 'If mesothelioma was a disease of the chattering classes, rather than of manual workers, I am sure the decision would be different.' Nick Thatcher, professor of oncology at the Christie Hospital NHS Trust and Wythenshawe Hospital, described NICE's decision as 'crazy', adding: 'It's the only proven licensed treatment and isn't that expensive [for the NHS] - only £7,000 for the complete treatment course.' He said the treatment significantly increases life expectancy, alleviates pain which cannot be lessened by opiates, and helps with breathlessness. 'One in four people on Alimta survive two years and more, and generally have a good quality of life,' he said. 'They wouldn't have that with other chemotherapy that's cheaper and not as effective. In terms of social justice, to not treat an industrial disease is extraordinary, especially when the cost is pretty minimal.' Chris Knighton, founder of the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund, believes the decision leaves sufferers with a choice between inadequate treatment and hardship. She said: 'People have been contacting us who have remortgaged or sold their homes to pay.' Alimta is widely available throughout the European Union. NICE denied approval for the life-extending chemotherapy drug Alimta in June last year, subject to consultation which closed last month. Final guidance is due for publication in September. Study findings to be published in the June issue of the Annals of Oncology concluded Britain has the worst cancer survival rates out of five top European countries, and blamed a reluctance to provide drug treatments including Alimta that are routinely available elsewhere. The review of the availability of 67 new cancer drugs in 25 countries, funded by Swiss pharmaceutical manufacturer Roche, found that Britain languishes close to the bottom of the league, along with Poland, the Czech Republic, South Africa and New Zealand.
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