A Croydon man is fighting a proposal that would see him denied the cancer drug that could save his life.

John Richardson, 58, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma - a cancer of the plasma cells - in November 2002.

Since relapsing he has been successfully treated with the drug velcade (bortezomib) which targets cancer cells and the surrounding area.

However, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has labelled the drug ineffective in terms of cost - a decision that has angered the Richardson family and other myeloma sufferers alike.

John's wife Jennifer said: "NICE hasn't made the final decision yet but they are saying they don't want to prescribe it. We're hoping to change this decision."

She added: "Despite all the evidence given to them showing it works, they say it is not worth the cost because people only get one year remission from it.

"We had a daughter who died of a brain tumour and yet again it seems like having cancer is a postcode or political lottery.

"It is not that the drugs are not available but it's if they are going to approve them, license them or pay for them."

Multiple myeloma - which can lead to bone marrow failure, skeletal destruction, renal insufficiency and fatigue - is treatable to a certain degree but is classed as a terminal illness because there is no known cure.

Every year 4,000 people are diagnosed with the disease and since it was introduced in the UK and Ireland in April 2004, velcade has been a popular method of treating it.

Guidelines dictate that sufferers can apply to their Primary Care Trust to fund the treatment, something Mrs Richardson says Croydon PCT had been prepared to do.

But if NICE's proposals were to be given the green light, patients would have to fork out £15,000 for the required amount of the drug.

"For the NHS, in comparison to other treatments it is relatively modest," said Mrs Richardson from the couple's Norbury home, "This is another first line treatment being taken away. A lot of people were shocked. My husband is angry - it is another lifeline being taken away from him.

"I'm quite angry. This drug has been proved to be effective. OK so it does have side effects but it is worth keeping. We're asking NICE to think of other myeloma patients. John's had a chance with the drug so they should too."

Eric Low, chief executive of charity the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) UK, said: "This is an extremely disappointing preliminary decision that has sent shockwaves through the myeloma community.

"Failure to have this preliminary recommendation overturned would represent a catastrophic blow to the myeloma community."

Professor Gareth Morgan, professor of haematology at the Royal Marsden Hospital in Sutton and president of IMF UK, added: "Myeloma is the cinderella of cancers. It doesn't receive anywhere near the same level of funding that other cancers do.

"The evidence suggests both clinically and cost effectively that velcade is best used at first relapse - there is no other licensed treatment in this area - we absolutely need this drug approved."

A spokesman for NICE said: "The independent appraisal committee carefully considered the evidence available on bortezomib for patients with relapsed multiple myeloma after initial treatment and compared this to current practice.

"Based on all the evidence, the committee concluded that the position of bortezomib in the clinical pathway of care for people with multiple myeloma is uncertain at present and needs to be established more clearly by the results of ongoing research before it can be recommended for general use in the NHS."

A second NICE appraisal committee meeting will take place on September 6.

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