A WOMAN from York will today present a petition at Downing Street, calling for a special cancer drug to be granted which could prolong her boyfriend's life.
Victoria Janes, 28, says her boyfriend Richard Bassett, 28, was one of a small number of cancer patients nationwide who could benefit greatly from Regorafenib.
He was diagnosed in 2008 as suffering from a rare type of cancer, 'Wildtype' Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour (GIST), which has more recently spread to his liver.
Victoria and Richard
In January she launched the petition, which is being supported by Gist Support UK. It has been signed by 103,000 people and is being supported by a cross party group of MPs.
An Early Day Motion has also been made in the House of Commons, to ensure that English patients have access to the same drug as provided to patients in Scotland.
Victoria said: "The number of signatures we have is fantastic but at the same time I feel frustrated that they have put the drug on the list but they are about to take it away again.
"It's not acceptable and we can't give up, we have to keep going."
The drug had been returned to the NHS England Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) list in May but then the CDF redefined some of its terms, Victoria said, meaning that it will again become inaccessible to Richard and is due to be removed for the treatment of GIST.
Victoria, who grew up in Clifton and attended St Peter's School, said Richard's cancer currently has no cure but could be effectively treated with Regorafenib if it was unresponsive to two other prescribed drugs, Imatinib and Sunitinib.
Victoria will be joined by the leaders of Gist Support UK and York Outer MP Julian Sturdy to hand in the petition at Downing Street tomorrow.
Jayne Bressington, vice chair of GIST Support UK, said: “It is vital that GIST patients in England retain access to Regorafenib. It is a key weapon in the arsenal to fight against this awful cancer; GIST... GIST patients need access to Regorafenib no-matter where they live in the UK.”
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