Funding for kidney cancer drug withheld

KIDNEY cancer sufferers in the Lothians have received a blow after funding for a new drug was refused.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has been criticised for ruling against the second-line treatment by charities across the country.

Because treatment options for the disease are limited, campaigners saw the role of the Afinitor drug as key to patient survival.

And while the SMC agreed it was clinically effective for those who had not responded to first-line treatment, it was ruled it would be too expensive to gain acceptance by the council.

Pat Hanlon, Trustee of Kidney Cancer UK said: "The SMC decision is devastating news for people living with advanced kidney cancer in Scotland who will be refused access to an effective treatment."