Postcode lottery in local Breast Cancer treatment is a scandal - says MEP

3.23.16pm GMT Wed 9th Nov 2005

Liz Lynne, Lib Dem MEP for the West Midlands and co-chair of the Cancer Group in the European Parliament, has been shocked by the difference in treatment offered to Breast Cancer sufferers in her area. Speaking in Brussels, Ms Lynne said,

"I was appalled to hear of such different treatments. Something must be done to ensure that everyone has a fair chance of survival and that differing standards are eradicated.

"When such advances are made in the treatment of diseases such as cancer, financial viability should not be the primary factor upon which decisions to offer treatment are made."

The inequalities, brought about by different Primary Care Trusts' decisions over the cost effectiveness of the Herceptin drug are so great they threaten to overshadow the positive aspects of recent developments in cancer treatment and recently reported increasing survival rates.

Ms Lynne was made aware of the problem when two Breast Cancer sufferers in her constituency, who fall under the remit of different Primary Care Trusts, received opposite responses concerning funding for Herceptin treatment.

A Redditch constituent, who contacted Ms Lynne to ask for support in securing funding for treatment from her local Primary Care Trust, received a favourable response last week about which both she and Liz were delighted. However, Liz was horrified to discover that funding for the same treatment has been denied to Elaine Barber, a mother-of-four Breast Cancer sufferer from Staffordshire, on the grounds that it is neither proven to be safe nor cost effective.

ENDS.