06 March 2024 , 21:16
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Linda Nolan says a postcode lottery is denying a life-extending treatment to secondary breast cancer patients.
The drug, Enhertu, has been rejected for use by the NHS in England though it is already prescribed in Scotland. Mirror columnist, singer and TV personality Linda is now calling for readers to sign a petition urging authorities to make the drug available to everyone in need of it.
Launched by charity Breast Cancer Now, the online petition had more than 46,500 signatures. Linda, 65, said of blocking the drug: “This is truly frightening and I’d urge readers to sign the petition for Enhertu’s approval to be reconsidered. As women we’re told to check, go to the doctor with any problem, then undergo treatment if we need it – and the outcome can be good. But to be denied the treatment, and potentially extra months or years? That’s a storyline which belongs in a horror film. Lives are at risk and everyone should have access to the drug, regardless of where they live. They’re being let down.”
Linda was diagnosed with cancer 18 years ago and has had incurable secondary breast cancer since 2017. Enhertu is not an option in her case but in trials it increased average “progression-free survival” – where the disease does not get worse – from seven months to two years.
Linda has praised the way Emmerdale is dealing with the issueLinda’s call follows news this week that nearly 1,500 women could be at risk of breast cancer because a historical blunder meant they were not offered routine checks. Baroness Delyth Morgan, Breast Cancer Now chief executive, said: “Linda knows firsthand the importance of having time to make memories with loved ones.”
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Linda is pleased to see breast cancer being tackled in ITV ’s Emmerdale but is disappointed at how it is being handled. She said: “Soaps do a great job raising important awareness but when it comes to Chas Dingle and her breast cancer diagnosis I find myself wishing they’d go gentler. Her fear is screaming at me. I’d urge the scriptwriters to find the positivity too.”
Had the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommended the treatment, around 1,000 patients a year would have been eligible for Enhertu. Developed by pharmaceutical companies Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca, it is used to treat a form of breast cancer affecting around half of late-stage cases.
The drug, also called trastuzumab deruxtecan, is available in 13 EU countries, the US and Canada. But NHS England said the firms charge too much. A spokesman said: “We are deeply disappointed they have not been willing to price this treatment to enable approval.” NICE director Helen Knight said the cost is too high “in relation to the benefits”.
Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca were approached for comment.
- The petition is at action.breastcancernow.org/enhertu-emergency-sign-petition
@DailyMirror