Fresh hope for ovarian cancer patients as new treatment given go-ahead
It is due to become the first ovarian cancer treatment in 20 years approved for use on the NHS
Hundreds of ovarian cancer patients are set to be offered a new treatment after it was given the green light from the NHS.
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A significant proportion of women with the disease are not diagnosed until it is at a later stage, meaning it is harder to treat.
Women with a certain form of late-stage ovarian cancer which has stopped responding to chemotherapy previously had "limited" options, experts said as they hailed the decision from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice).
Final draft guidance says that mirvetuximab soravtansine can be used for women with certain forms of ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancers.
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It is the first ovarian cancer treatment in 20 years approved for use on the NHS.
Victoria Clare, chief executive officer of the charity Ovacome, said: "Today marks a landmark moment.
"Being told that platinum-based chemotherapy is no longer working can bring anxiety and uncertainty, particularly when the disease is at an advanced stage, where time and options are limited.
"This recommendation is the first in over 20 years to offer the ovarian cancer community an additional choice at a critical stage, with the potential to make a real difference to patients and their families."
The new treatment, which is also called Elahere and developed by AbbVie, is a targeted therapy which works by attaching to cancer cells and destroying them, with these forms of treatments sometimes described as a "biological missile" or "Trojan horse" therapy.
Clinical trials have shown the drug, which is given by a drip once every three weeks, can improve survival among patients by around four months on average, compared with those who have chemotherapy alone
.NHS England said that 400 patients in England each year could benefit.
"This represents the most significant breakthrough in NHS treatment for these hard-to-treat ovarian cancers in over two decades and we're delighted it will now offer hundreds of women much-needed hope of precious extra time with their loved ones," said Professor Ruth Plummer, NHS England’s national clinical lead for cancer drugs.
Patricia Hill, 64, a retired NHS physiotherapist from north London, who began treatment in January this year, said: "Previously, I’ve had three different lines of chemotherapy, and this is the first time that I’ve actually been able to get on with my life in terms of the impact of side effects.
"The feelings of isolation and loneliness that you have undergoing conventional chemotherapy are totally or more or less totally eradicated when using mirvetuximab.
"It actually adds life to years, rather than spending your life in bed recovering from the side effects of chemotherapy."