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Gary Russell has been paying for treatment too expensive for NHS |
‘GIVE ME DRUG SO I CAN SEE MY KIDS
GROW UP’
Cancer patient pleads for £100,000-a-year life-saving treatment
FRIENDS and family are campaigning for a cancer patient to be given a life-saving drug which doctors have told him is too expensive for the NHS.
Father-of-four Gary Russell, 36, a surveyor with Keir-Islington – the private firm which carries out council housing maintenance – could die within months unless he continues to receive Avastin, described as a new immunotherapy “wonder” drug.
Mr Russell, who suffers from bowel cancer, had asked to have the drug on the NHS while a patient at Barts Hospital.
But he was told by consultants it was not even worth filling in an application because treating a patient with the drug costs £50,000 to £100,000 a year. He is now paying for it himself, with the help of family and friends.
Mr Russell’s nightmare began in May this year when surgeons at the specialist NHS St Mark’s Hospital in Harrow, where he was being treated, told him he had probably just six months to live.
The cancer had spread to his lymph nodes and other parts of his body.
But, since beginning a course of the drug, which he is paying for privately at a cost of £18,000 a session, Mr Russell believes he is making a remarkable recovery, although the cancer is still in his body.
In a desperate effort to raise cash to pay for the treatment, his parents have had to remortgage their house in Finsbury Park. They gave their son £50,000 so he can obtain the drug at the private London Oncology Clinic in Harley Street.
Mr Russell has to pay almost £1,000 out of his own pocket every time he has a scan, currently every three months.
Tomorrow (Saturday) 60 of Mr Russell’s colleagues and friends will take part in a sponsored bike ride in an effort to raise more cash for the treatment.
Meanwhile, moves are being made to press Islington Primary Care Trust to sanction the use of Avastin, which if unsuccessful could result in a High Court action on Mr Russell’s behalf. He is being supported by Islington Lib Dem councillor John Gilbert, a member of the PCT, and his family are contacting Islington North Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn.
Mr Russell, from the Andover estate in Finsbury Park has children aged 2 to 17 who he sees regularly, although he is divorced from his wife. He said: “Avastin has already proved to be a life-saver since I began taking it in May this year. I believe it could definitely prolong my life. The drug has actually decreased my cancer by 90 per, although there is no guarantee it will get rid of it entirely.
“But if I’m forced to come off it, the prognosis is not good. I want to be around to see my kids grow up.”
Current research suggests that, by a combination of the drug and chemotherapy, one in nine patients has been cleared of cancer even when it has spread to their liver.
Despite this, the National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) ruled in January this year that health care trusts should not make it available on the NHS because it was “not cost-effective”.Mr Russell’s sister Emma has taken on the role of main campaigner for the family. She attends the hospital with her brother every two weeks when he receives the drug.
Ms Russell said: “The oncologist has told us she believes that Avastin is the best drug for Gary’s condition. She said it was the drug she would have if she had this form of cancer.
“We were advised against applying for funding. We were told it would take six to eight weeks and based on current experience the answer would be no.
“A man’s life is at risk and they are worried about cost. I can’t believe this is the NHS we have all paid into.
“All we want is for my brother to have a decent quality of life for as long as possible.”
In July this year, Victoria Otley, 57, won a High Court case overturning a decision of Barking and Dagenham Primary Care trust refusing her Avastin.
About 35,000 new cases of bowel cancer are diagnosed in Britain each year.
Ian Beaumont, of Bowel Cancer UK, said: “We always believed these drugs were better than Nice claimed. The data Nice based their decision on were way out of date.”
A spokeswoman for Islington PCT said last night (Thursday): “Nice has issued guidance which does not recommend the use of Avastin (Bevacizumab) as a first-line treatment for colorectal cancer. Islington PCT will consider individual cases if a patient’s hospital consultant is willing to put a case forward that establishes exceptional reasons for the treatment.
“The PCT has not received a request in this instance. As with all such requests, we would be happy to consider this, should the patient’s consultant wish to put one forward.”n The sponsored 10-mile bike ride for Gary Russell is taking place tomorrow (Saturday) at Grafham Water cycle track, near Huntingdon. Bike hire is available on-site.
If you are interested in taking part or sponsoring one of the riders, contact Andy Jeffreys on 07904 934 684
or email andy.jeffreys@kier.co.uk or Andy Butcher on
07904 934 539 or andrew. butcher@kier.co.uk |
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