Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
17 November 2017 09:18
It's estimated 8,000 women could benefit from the drugs
Women diagnosed with untreatable breast cancer are being given fresh hope, with the approval of two new "breakthrough" medicines for widespread use across England's health service.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has approved NHS use of palbociclib and ribociclib - drugs that are shown to slow down advance cancer and delay the need for chemotherapy.
Nice - which has rejected palbociclib in the past because of its high cost - has announced the new agreement after negotiating a new lower price with manufactured Pfizer.
A life-changing breakthrough
Around 45,000 women receive new diagnoses of breast cancer each year in England, and it's estimated 8,000 women could benefit from the ground-breaking treatment.
Nicholas Turner, trial lead and professor of molecular oncology at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London and consultant medical oncologist at the Royal Marsden, says: "The development of this brand new class of cancer drug is one of the most important breakthroughs for women with advanced breast cancer in the last two decades.
"In clinical trials, palbociclib and ribociclib have made a huge difference to women's lives - slowing down tumour growth for nearly a year, and delaying the need for chemotherapy with all its potentially debilitating side-effects. These drugs have allowed women to live a normal life for longer."
Treatment for women of any age
Women who are pre-menopausal and have been diagnosed with oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer after it the disease has spread will be eligible for palbociclib.
Post-menopausal women diagnosed who are diagnosed under the same conditions will be treated with ribociclib, manufactured by Novartis.
Both drugs work in a similar way, and are shown to hold back breast cancer for at least 10 months, affording women a normal life for longer.
Even if your cancer has spread, if you have had chemotherapy in the last three months, are taking strong painkillers or have a terminal prognosis, we may still be able to cover you for holidays and overseas travel with our specialist cancer travel insurance.
16 August 2018
Holidaymakers in the UK will be hit by more train price hikes from next year, after the Government announced ticket prices will increase by 3.2% in January.
[more...]
15 August 2018
A simple blood test could help GPs detect a rare form of bone marrow cancer much earlier, a new study suggests.
14 August 2018
Passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport last month faced queues of over two and a half hours at passport control, new figures have revealed.
11 August 2018
Hundreds of Ryanair flights will not take off as planned on Friday due to pilot strikes in five countries.
10 August 2018
Fad diets that cut out carbs while increasing fat consumption could lead to an increased risk of diabetes, according to new research.
09 August 2018
HIV testing has become even more accessible after a self-testing kit was made available from a High Street retailer.
08 August 2018
Women patients are more likely to survive a heart attack if they are treated by a female doctor, a new US study has revealed.
07 August 2018
The head of British Airways has branded two-hour queues facing travellers at Heathrow's passport control as a "border farce."
04 August 2018
Simple factors such as gender and body mass can help doctors to personalise care for patients with type 2 diabetes and avoid harmful side effects, according to a study.
03 August 2018
Gatwick Express must no longer claim it runs "non-stop to Victoria station in half an hour" and "in just 30 minutes" unless it can achieve the time in most cases, a watchdog has ruled.
02 August 2018
A charity is calling for greater access to respite support after it emerged that 72% of Britain's 700,000 young carers feel lonely and isolated during the summer holidays.
01 August 2018
A plan to build new rail links with Heathrow Airport and connect Windsor's two train stations have been submitted to the Government.