Tuesday, February 2, 2010
A treatment known as chemoembolization, where anticancer drugs are injected directly into a cancer tumor, has shown effective in the treatment of mesothelioma according to its supporters being treated in Germany. However, the National Health Service (NHS), the publicly-funded healthcare system in England, is not convinced.
England's Department of Health says they do not have enough information about the risks and benefits of the treatment to support it in patients with mesothelioma. Chemoembolization has proven effective in the treatment of liver cancer.
Mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, can take up to 50 years to develop after exposure to asbestos has occurred. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, it can be treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.
One patient who says the treatment has prolonged his life by years, as well improved his quality of life, had to use his life savings to pay for the treatment. He and others in a Devon, England mesothelioma support group are pressing NHS to reconsider its policy on funding the treatment.
Devon Primary Care Trust has indicated that any future applications for chemoembolization treatment would be reviewed based on the latest clinical information.
Source:
Mesothelioma Treatment Funding @ MesotheliomaHelp.Net.
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