Cancer drugs axed in £80million NHS cuts

LIFE-PROLONGING drugs are to be withdrawn as the Government tries to save £80million on cancer care.

A nurse with pipetteGETTY

Life-prolonging drugs are being withdrawn due to government cuts

A total of 25 out of 84 treatments will no longer be available on the NHS in England due to the cutbacks announced yesterday.

Drugs for bowel, breast and prostate cancer and leukaemia are among those deemed to have insufficient clinical benefit in a review by doctors, pharmacists and patient representatives.

The Cancer Drugs Fund was launched by David Cameron in 2010 with a £200million annual budget to give access to treatments not normally available.

This will rise to £340million in April and the changes are aimed at preventing it reaching £420million next year.

Almost 8,000 patients could be affected, says The Rarer Cancers Foundation charity, but those already being given drugs will not have them withdrawn.

Samia al Qadhi, chief executive of Breast Cancer Care, described the move as “devastating”.

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