Court victory means breast cancer drug Herceptin will be available to more women

The court victory of British woman Barbara Clark to be treated with the breast cancer drug Herceptin, means that now more than 100 breast cancer patients in Cornwall and Devon could soon be prescribed the drug.

Cancer charity CancerBACUP says the victory is a "breakthrough moment" and that other health authorities should follow the decision made by South West Peninsula Health Authority (SWPHA).

Herceptin costs up to £30,000 a year for each patient and is already widely used for patients with advanced breast cancer or those who are terminally ill.

Health managers have expressed concern that said it could pose financial problems.

According to Dr Jim O'Brien, director of public health at SWPHA, the cost of providing the drug will be approximately £4m which will be divided between the 11 primary care trusts in Devon and Cornwall and included in 2006/07 drug budgets.

But following the 5 October victory of former nurse Ms Clark, it was announced all women with early-stage breast cancer in England would be tested to see if they were eligible for the drug.

Tests have already shown the drug could greatly extend sufferers' life expectancy, but it had not previously been approved for use on women in the early stages of the illness.

The SWPHA decided to allow treatment on the condition that the treatment is supported by the patient's clinician, and that the patient herself is willing to receive the drug.

Dr Duncan Wheatley, a consultant who specialises in breast cancer for the Royal Cornwall Hospital, said there were risks, but compared with chemotherapy drugs it was "very safe".

One study has shown that Herceptin could halve the chance of a relapse for women after chemotherapy.

Dr Duncan Wheatley, says it is expected that results will get better and better and a lot more people will not needlessly die.

The drug's manufacturer, Roche, has said it is likely to apply for a licence for the use of Herceptin on early breast cancer next year.

Joanne Rule, chief executive of CancerBACUP, says women all over the country will be hoping and praying that their primary care trust's (PCT) will follow suit.

She says the secretary of state must now make it clear to all PCTs that they must fund doctors' decisions to prescribe Herceptin to any woman who may benefit from it.