Cancer mum leads protest

Amanda Crook

August 28, 2008

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Kidney cancer sufferer Jean Murphy

CANCER drugs campaigner Jean Murphy led a protest with a simple but hard-hitting message - `we deserve the right to life'.

The 63-year old from Salford took centre stage at the rally outside the London offices of the agency which says new treatments are too expensive for the NHS.

Jean and daughter Cathy also handed in personal letters to officials at the National Institute and Clinical Excellence asking them to change their minds.

The agency ruled that Sutent - a drug which prolongs the life of kidney cancer sufferers - IS effective, but that at £3,500 for six weeks treatment it is too expensive.

Jean, who was refused the drug by Salford primary care trust, is now paying for it privately thanks to a mystery £10,000 donor.

Doctors and patients are hoping Nice will change its mind before a final decision due at the end of the year.

Dozens of campaigners gathered outside Nice's offices, buoyed after the watchdog's U-turn this week on the drug Lucentis which can prevent blindness.

Mrs Murphy, who started taking Sutent three weeks ago, said: "I cannot understand why health authorities seem to think kidney cancer patients have less right to live than other people.

"I am lucky that someone has answered my prayers and is paying for my drug but I am fighting for all the others out there who will come after me, in the hope they will not have to battle while they are dying.

"Sutent has made me feel more like my old self and I've only been on it for three weeks."

Broadcaster James Whale, who lost a kidney to cancer in 2000, was among protesters and said Nice were `faceless bureaucrats'.

He said: "I want the chairman of Nice to come down and speak to these people.

"I want him to look into the eyes of the people whose lives he would cut short."

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Abi Jenkins (28/08/2008 at 11:52)

Jean shouldn't have had to go to london and niether should any other kidney cancer patient because obviously having cancer is enough to worry about. N.I.C.E should be completely ashamed of them selves and i wonder how they sleep at night. what would happen if they were in the same situation as all the other kidney cancer patients would they still think it ok to decide these drugs are too expensive. they never will be in the same situation though will they? because they would be able to fund treatment for themselves due to the fact they are all on such a high salary. Maybe get rid of N.I.C.E because they seem to be useless.

Howellsey (28/08/2008 at 14:54)

If as suggested the chairman of NICE came down and spoke to these protestors, and then licensed the drug, the next day there would be another group with another condition protesting, and the next day another....... money is finite to provide medicine in the NHS and all the arguments about bureaucracy, asylum seekers, obesity etc doesn't change that. Some people have to make harsh decisions, not everyone who is ill can be made better, it's a simple fact. We need to grow up and realise this, and before people bleat on about it, I lost my Mum to cancer, again it something that happens.

declan o brien (28/08/2008 at 19:15)

Well done to all the kidney cancer patients and their family and friends who went down to the N.I.C.E HQ to fight for what is their right. How many excuses are we expected to listen to. N.I.C.E have said Sunitinib and other cancer treatments are too expensive for the NHS, how can this be the case when the end of year surplus of the NHS in the north west is expected to be £290m. Is it acceptable that this money should go toward new buildings which are not needed when our own people are being condemned to early deaths ? I seriously think not. To save money let's get rid of all the PCT's, how much money would THAT save no PCT's no salary's to be paid to PCT staff, and let's get rid of N.I.C.E, no other country has N.I.C.E, so why should we, how much money would be saved then, no salary for staff at N.I.C.E.
Will Tatu removal still be funded on the NHS while people with illnesses they didn't ask for and didn't diliberately get are told drugs they need are too expensive ? This country has lost the plot. I'd like to know will we all now be given a refund for all the taxes we've all paid in over the years ? It can not continue to be the case where we pay in and get nothing back. I am really sick and tired of this country and all the dxxxxxxxx who run it. They have made a complete and utter mess, and now people are dying because of it. GET RID OF PCT'S, GET RID OF N.I.C.E, AND GET RID OF THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT.

Abi Jenkins (29/08/2008 at 13:32)

Well Said Declan O' Brien.
n.i.c.e. have said the treatment works but is too expensive, since when was it acceptable to put money before life? and why should the cost of the drug matter when the nhs is expected to have that amount of surplus ?
When will the nhs stop wasting money and why is it not accountable for the wastage time after time after time? 'from the cradle to the grave nhs free at the point of need'' where is the evidence of this? This country is one of the richest in the world so why have we no money to help people like jean and other's in her situation? Why is this treatment given in other countries which are poorer than us but it's not given in ours ? The government need to step in and do something about this because it's a complete disgrace, but i doubt that they will because they couldn't care less. Labour government Labour policy, Labour's fault. get rid of labour their useless and we all know it.

KAY DWYER (30/08/2008 at 14:16)

congratulations jean for still thinking of other people even though you have now got your treatment.n.i.c.e have no compassion at all and it's an appaling thing to do to kidney cancer patients. i myself have lost family members to cancer but there was no treatment that could have helped them and it was horrendous, but i know i would have felt 100 times worse if i'd have been aware of a treatment out there that could have helped them but they wasn't allowed to have it. the nhs is no longer for everyone, it's certainly not for ordinary people who are not extremely rich, this counrty is going more and more like the third world.

Honey Bunny (30/08/2008 at 22:57)

Get some of the fat cat dictators out of their offices and give their salaries to these poor people.
Its crazy ... Money for lesbians to have IVF treatment! Stop you dying of cancer No!

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