Blyth father vows to fight on for cancer drug

Posted by The Journal on Oct 24, 09 12:33 PM in News

Cancer patient Guy Hedley has vowed to fight on for a potentially life-enhancing drug after health bosses turned down his appeal for the third time.

The father-of-two, who suffers from bowel cancer, was told he did not meet the "exceptional circumstances" needed to get Avastin funded by the NHS.

Guy Hedley with his daughters Amy, left, and Claire

Guy Hedley with his daughters Amy, left, and Claire

Mr Hedley, of Blyth, believes taking the drug could help prolong his life and buy him precious time with his family.

The 47-year-old, who was diagnosed with the disease in June last year, has slammed the decision made by health chiefs at the NHS Northumberland Care Trust.

Speaking from his home in Cambo Close, Mr Hedley said: "It's devastating. I just can't believe it, but we will keeping applying for it. I think it's shocking that if you have cancer, you can get chemotherapy OK, but not Avastin.

"It's very frustrating and upsetting. My whole family are suffering. There have been times when I have felt like just giving up. But I know that we have to keep fighting, not just for ourselves, but for other people like us."

Mr Hedley, who has had six courses of the treatment privately so far, is convinced it his helping him and believes the drug should be funded on the NHS.

He says Avastin will not kill his tumour but is helping to keep it at bay and will allow him extra years with wife Rhonda and daughters Amy, 15, and Claire, 13.

In a desperate bid to help their dad, the girls wrote to Prime Minister Gordon Brown asking him to help.

Mr Hedley, who is also having chemotherapy, has already forked out £11,000 from his mortgage funds to pay for the Avastin privately, at a cost of £1,800 for each treatment.

Mrs Hedley said: "We are fighting to keep him alive. Guy wants to be able to walk the girls down the aisle. We were looking forward to the rest of our lives together and spending quality time together when the girls grow up.

"But now I feel like we are being robbed of our lives. It's heartbreaking for us to know that he is suffering and there is nothing that we can do about it."

Mr Hedley suffers from an aggressive level four type of cancer which is now at an advanced stage and is inoperable.

He is hoping to take part in a clinical drugs trial at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital, where he could be offered Avastin.

Mr Hedley added: "Without my family and friends and their support, I wouldn't be able to get the drug. But it shouldn't have to be like this."

The National Institute of Healthcare and Clinical Excellence (Nice), the Government's advisory body, said Avastin does too little and costs too much.

Despite patients having access to an increased number of new cancer drugs, NHS bosses have been unable to add Avastin to the list.

A spokesman for Northumberland Care Trust said: "It is distressing for patients to be told that a drug is not being made available to them on the NHS.

"Unfortunately, in this case, no evidence has been demonstrated to show that there have been clinical benefits or exceptional circumstances."

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