Life extending drugs for cancer are costly and useless

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The *Daily Mail* has reported that doctors do not support giving life-extending drugs to patients with terminal cancer. The newspaper says that a new report has said the treatments “give false hope and are too costly for the public purse”.

The news story is based on an extensive international report that examined the cost and value of cancer care in developed countries. In the report doctors, health economists and patient advocates voice their opinions and suggest potential policy changes that could make cancer care more affordable for both patients and society. However, the report does not actually suggest that life-extending drugs should be withheld from terminal cancer patients, rather that there is a greater need to understand whether treatments at this stage will actually extend life, and whether resources would be better directed at improving patients’ quality of life through options such as palliative care. The report also suggests several policy areas that could be targeted to improve quality of care while reducing its cost.

This report is likely to stimulate discussions on policy relating to cancer care, but it is not policy itself. The report is of great interest but a broad agreement within the health service would be needed if it were to change the manner in which care is provided in the UK.

Ref and Read more: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2011/09September/Pages/cost-of-advanced-cancer-drugs-questioned.aspx

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