Government Response To Mesothelioma Petition

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to to ensure that all Mesothelioma patients get treatment they need in the UK and should not have to travel abroad. We would like to see Chemoembolization trialled in the UK and become a treatment that would be offered to Mesothelioma sufferers.

Details of Petition:
“Chemoembolization is a procedure that is most commonly used in the UK for liver cancer. Professor Thomas Vogl, Frankfurt, Germany, has been studying its uses with Mesothelioma with some sucess One successes is Debbie Brewer who, aged 47 was told she had 6-9 months to live, in Nov 2006. She started to take Mistletoe in April 08 & after meetin the prof started treatment May 08 & in June 08 for a 2nd treatment & was told the tumour had shrunk 10%. After 5 treatments it has, so far shrunk 53% & she has been given a partial remission diagnosis & has been told the tumour MAY NOT return. This treatment should be available in the UK as the treatments for Mesothelioma are limited to chemo, radiotherapy or major operation to remove the damaged lung. We are currently campaigning to get trials started in the UK *Chemoembolization involves passing a catheter through the femoral artery into the lung & targeting the tumour directly. *Mistletoe, A therapy used to boost the immune system & educate it to fight the tumour. It is administered via injection in the abdomen.”
Read the Government’s response
One of the recommendations of the LCAMAG was the development of a mesothelioma framework to provide the NHS with advice on how to deliver services for mesothelioma patients in order to improve standards of care to a uniformly high level across the country.

The Government's Reponse
The National Mesothelioma Framework was launched on 27 February 2008. The framework takes on board comments from a public consultation and includes advice on the configuration of services, raising awareness of mesothelioma and the clinical management of the condition. The Government hopes that the adoption of the framework’s recommendations by the NHS will make a substantial difference to mesothelioma patients and their families. Details of the framework can be viewed on the Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk.

Chemoembolisation is currently available for the treatment of liver cancer. However, the risks and benefits of using chemoembolisation to treat patients with mesothelioma are not yet known. The Department of Health is not aware of any trials of chemoembolisation for patients with mesothelioma that are currently underway in the UK.

The main agency through which the Government supports medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC), an independent body funded by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills via the Office of Science and Innovation. The MRC is dedicated to improving human health through the best scientific research. While funds are not generally earmarked for particular topics, the MRC always welcomes high quality applications for funding to support research into any aspect of human health. Awards are made according to scientific quality and importance to human health and are judged in open competition with other demands on funding. Further details are available on the MRC’s website at: www.mrc.ac.uk.

The Department of Health’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) programme also supports high quality research of relevance and in areas of high priority to patients and the NHS.

Neither the NIHR nor the MRC ring fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. Both organisations welcome applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made.

It is for clinicians, using their expert judgement, to decide on the most effective treatment for patients based on their individual circumstances. As Primary Care Trusts are responsible for commissioning services to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations, it is for them to decide whether to fund any proposed treatment taking into account any available evidence of the effectiveness of that treatment.