Best Health InsuranceA MUM-OF-FOUR who was given months to live believes that a banned drug saved her life.
Jilly deCruz, from Bullbrook, was diagnosed with kidney cancer in February 2009 and was able to take chemo drug Avastin and interferon injections on her private health insurance – a treatment not provided on the NHS.
Ms deCruz is in remission but still undergoing palliative treatment, believes that more lives could be saved if Avastin was made available to those who need it.
It is the same vital drug that Lesley Webb’s family tirelessly fought to get her doctors to prescribe her before her death in February this year.
Ms deCruz, 48, said: “It is a worthwhile drug. Not providing it robs people of their years of life. The NHS should have to re-think their policy, I would not be here without it.
“Avastin is the one thing that saved my life, it is going to give me two extra years of life and I will be ever thankful for this extra time with my family.”
She said that the drug is not provided on the NHS because it is expensive.
She said: “The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) say it is a high risk drug which they can not afford to give to everyone.
“They put a cost on lives really. Private health insurance was a God-send, I only took it out four months before I was diagnosed.
Avastin was recommended to her by her oncologist following an operation to remove the 17cm tumour in her kidney, as her cancer was at an advanced stage.
Mrs Webb was diagnosed with a brain tumour in October last year and with the support of the Bracknell community, more than £25,000 was raised to fund the drug through the help of doctors in America.
But it all came too late. Lesley’s husband George Webb also believes that Avastin should be made available to those who would benefit from it. He said: “If we were told about it from the beginning, we would have raised the money straight away. The drug would have given something back to her.” He said they only found out about the drug through doing their own research.
The family have donated the money raised for Lesley’s treatment to Thames Hospicecare where she was cared for.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) provides guidance, and makes recommendations to the NHS on new and existing medicines, treatments and procedures and treating and caring for people with specific diseases and conditions.
A spokesperson for NHS Berkshire East said: “Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) are legally bound to implement the recommendation of a NICE technology appraisal whilst ensuring best use of NHS resources.
“Technology appraisal 178 issued in August 2009, by NICE, does not recommend the use of a number of drug treatments including Bevacuzimab (Avastin) when used at various stages in the treatment of kidney cancer. However other treatments have been recommended by NICE including Sunitinib to treat kidney cancer.
“It is important to ensure NHS resources are used to fund the most cost effective treatments and PCTs look to NICE to recommend the best treatment options within the resources available.”
