The Clitheroe Thursday, OctoberSth, 2006 No, 6,271
vertiser an imes news and views from the Oentre of the Kingdom^. , : 16 PAGE
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PAGE 14
Couple’s heartbreak as vital cancer drug is denied
EXCLUSIVE by Julie Magee
A TERMINALLY ill cancer suf ferer is being forced to rely on the generosity of friends and work col leagues as well as her own savings
to pay for vital treatment. Mrs Pauline Altham (62), of Goose-
butts Lane, Clitheroe, has been refused the drug Cetuximab on the NHS and is having to find more than £40,000 a year to pay for the treatment privately. Together with her husband, William,
she has so far had to fund the treatment out of their own pockets and through funds raised by friends and work col
leagues. “At work they’ve had a coffee morn
ing, car boot sale, raffle, sponsored walk, quiz and a ‘good as new sale’ rais ing over £2,500,” Mrs Altham
explained. “This is such an admirable amount
considering they’ve raised it in the last two weeks. People have been really gen erous,” Mr Altham added. A mother-of-two, who has continued
to work part-time in Clitheroe Health Centre’s dispensary despite her illness, Mrs Altham was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 2001. She subsequently underwent surgery, but a year later was
diagnosed with liver cancer. Following another operation, she was hopeful the disease had abated, but in 2005 she received the devastating news that she had developed lung cancer. When the illness remained aggressive
despite Mrs Altham undergoing all the chemotherapy available, she knew her only option was a drug called Cetux imab produced by drug company
Merck. This treatment requires patients to
undergo a series of six doses of the drug given through a drip at weekly intervals in conjunction with chemotherapy. Each course costs £10,000. “After six treatments I ’m given a
scan to assess whether the treatment is working and then, if it is wor^g, you continue with the drug again.” Mrs
. Altham explained. The cancer specialist treating Mrs
Altham, pictured above, applied to Hyndburn and Ribble Valley PCT in August for the treatment to be pre scribed on the NHS. But this request was turned down. A letter from the PCT reads: “The
request for funding of Cetuximab com- bmation chemotherapy was considered by the East Lancashire Tri-PCT con tract Exclusions Panel on August 11th. “The National Institute for Clinical
Excellence (NICE) has not yet com pleted its appraisal of Cetuximab and in the absence of definitive guidance from NICE, the Chemotherapy Com bination Group of the Lancashire and South Cumbria Network has made an interim decision not to approve the use of this drug combination. “Any decision to fund this treatment
currently rests with the individual PCTs taking into account the clinical
and cost effectiveness of the prescribed treatment and the patient’s individual
‘circumstances. “Based on the information presented,
members of the panel did not consider that ‘exceptional circumstances’ had been demonstrated in this instance and NHS funding for the treatment has been denied,” the letter reads, adding that Mrs Altham has the right to appeal. Mrs Altham did just that, but
received a letter on Tuesday morning, saying her appeal had been refused. “I can’t understand how Pauline can
be refused on the ^ u n d s that there are no ‘exceptional circumstances’. If she doesn’t get the drug, she will die,” Mr
Altham said. With no other alternative, Mrs
Altham has opted to be treated private ly at Fulwood Hall Private Hospital at Preston and has so far received four treatments. “I can tell it works already. I feel com
pletely different and my symptoms have disappeared. The specialist told us that he has two patients on the dnigs combi nation, one has been on it six months and the other 18 months,” Mrs Altham
explained. Already outliving her prognosis, Mrs
Altham added: “I want to highlight what’s happening in the hope the NHS
will change its policy and everyone will benefit. Pin being discriminated against because I’m ill. I don’t want to sound at all bitter and twisted, I’m not highlight ing what’s happened because of that. But I’m in this predicament through no fault of my own.” She added. “I feel like I ’m racing against time. Whatever time I get is a
bonus.” “This is what we pay our National
Insurance contributions for,” said Mr Altham. “There should be enough money to support people who are termi
nally Ul.” In a statement, the PCT said yester
day that the drug had not been given clinical or financial clearance by the local health authorities.
• continued oh page 2
ANYONB «;lio can o f fer support, dona tions or h a s any fund-raising ideas to help Mrs Altham shiuild con tact th e C lithe roe Advertiser and
Times. ' •' ■ We will he happy to publicise any
' event organised to ra ise funds for M r s Altham arid the newsdesk-can he contacted oh 012IK) 122221.
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