Barbara is still hopeful of winning (From Worcester News)

Barbara is still hopeful of winning

7:10pm Tuesday 24th November 2009

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A MUM fighting terminal cancer has been told that the drug which saved her life is not likely to be made available on the NHS.

Barbara Moss will continue to fight for the bowel cancer drug Avastin to be supplied to patients free on the NHS and she has urged others not to give up hope.

Mrs Moss, aged 54, of Aconbury Close, off Newtown Road, Worcester, made her case at a national review organised by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excell-ence (NICE) in Manchester at the end of October.

Today NICE has issued a “provisional negative recommendation” on Avastin in combination with oxaliplatin-based therapy for the treatment of advanced bowel cancer funded by the NHS.

Mrs Moss, who had to pay £9,000 for the drugs out of her pension, said: “It’s not a final decision but I am very disappointed. I have done what I can and I hope the decision, in the end, will be the right one.”

Mrs Moss believes the drug shrank her cancer so that it became operable, ext-ending her life. She was given just three to five months to live when she was diagnosed in November 2006.

In spite of the setback, drug manufacturer Roche is confident that it can continue to work with NICE to ensure Avastin will be available for the benefit of bowel cancer patients.

John Melville, general manager of Roche UK, said: “We are in an unfortunate situation with Avastin. Patients in Australia, Canada and most of Europe have access to it but patients in the UK, don’t.”

A final decision about Avastin is expected in the spring.

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