UK's cancer drug access 'slow'

Updated 09.16 Thu May 10 2007

Keywords: NHS, Cancer

The UK is lagging behind other western countries in its use of new cancer drugs and survival rates, a report has said.

The study found that cancer patients face "stark inequalities" in treatment access globally, with the uptake of new cancer drugs being "low and slow" in the UK as well as New Zealand, Poland, Czech Republic and South Africa.

"Our report highlights that in many countries new drugs are not reaching patients quickly enough and that this is having an adverse impact on patient survival" - Dr Nils Wilking

Compiled in Sweden, the report surveyed Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa and the US, as well as 19 European countries, with a total population of 984 million, looking at access to 67 innovative cancer drugs.

Austria, France, Switzerland and the US were found to be the leaders in using new cancer drugs.

The highest five-year survival rate for all cancers (apart from non-melanoma skin cancer) was in France with a success rate of 71 per cent for women and 53 per cent for men. The UK had the lowest at 53 per cent and 43 per cent respectively.

In France, Spain, Germany and Italy 51-52 per cent of cancer patients were treated with drugs launched after 1985. But only 40 per cent of patients in the UK had access to these drugs.

Dr Bengt Jonsson, director of the Centre for Health Economics at the Stockholm School of Economics, said: "Around one sixth of the differences between these countries in five-year cancer survival is due to differences in the uptake of new drugs in each country."

The report highlights an imbalance in public investments in cancer research between Europe and the US. Dr Jonsson said: "Not only is the magnitude of public research at a different level in the US, it is also directed to clinical research to a greater extent.

"There is a need for a significant increase in the public research for cancer in Europe, particularly devoted to clinical research."

Dr Nils Wilking, clinical oncologist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, said: "Our report highlights that in many countries new drugs are not reaching patients quickly enough and that this is having an adverse impact on patient survival.

"Where you live can determine whether you receive the best available treatment or not. To some extent this is determined by economic factors, but much of the variation between countries remains unexplained."