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Drugs for rarer cancers

Monday 10th September 2012

Spring 2011

During 2010, Macmillan campaigned for people with rarer cancers to get access to the drugs they so vitally need.

With thanks to our campaigners, the government announced a £200 million drug fund to help improve access to cancer drugs in England.

Why are people with rarer cancers losing out?

The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) has to approve drugs before they become available through the NHS in England and Wales. Often NICE can’t approve drugs for rarer cancers because:

- a small number of people need them, which makes them more expensive

- there aren’t always enough people to take part in trials to get them approved

- they have to make sure NHS money is spent effectively, balancing the benefits of a drug against cost.

Macmillan believes everyone should get the drugs they need, regardless of what type of cancer they have or where they live. And it’s not just us who think this – a survey conducted by Macmillan found that 90% of the public support people with rarer cancers having the same access to cancer drugs as people with common cancers, even if they’re more expensive.

Tell us your stories

Since the announcement, Macmillan has been working hard to ensure that this fund works for people with a rarer cancer.

This month the fund comes into effect and we want to know how it’s working for people. Please email our campaigns team with any stories. We have more information about Macmillan’s campaigns.

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Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). A company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales company number 2400969. Isle of Man company number 4694F. Registered office: 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7UQ.