THE decision by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) not to allow breast cancer patients in Scotland to be treated with the Perjeta drug on the basis of cost, does not seem right (“NHS Scotland again refuses to supply ‘extremely effective’ treatment”, The Herald, June 13).
This drug is available to breast cancer patients in England and its manufacturer, Roche, says it can extend the life of patients with advanced breast cancer by almost 16 months.
I would ask the SMC Chairman, Dr Alan MacDonald, to inform the Scottish public of the following forthwith:
How much does this drug cost compared to the other drugs used?
How many patients in Scotland would be affected per annum?
How many patients in England have access to it per annum?
Scotland always goes the extra mile for people in trouble, especially cancer patients. It seems totally inadequate for Dr MacDonald and his committee to write off a significant portion of the lives of Scottish mothers, sisters and grandmothers with the meaningless statement “We know this decision will be disappointing to patients and their families as we know how devastating breast cancer can be”.
If it can be justified in England, surely it can be the same in Scotland?
Dennis White,
4 Vere Road, Blackwood, Lanark.
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