Too expensive was the reason given by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) today for rejecting a vital treatment for the bone marrow cancer, myeloma, despite it being the only treatment to be licensed for patients in over ten years.

Although acknowledging the clear clinical effectiveness of bortezomib (Velcade), both in terms of increasing survival and enhancing the quality of life of patients, NICE have deemed it not to be cost effective. Myeloma is a less common cancer, affecting around 20,000 people in the UK at any one time and although it is sadly incurable, bortezomib (Velcade) can offer precious extra time to patients.

Responding to the news, Myeloma UK, Cancerbackup, Leukaemia Care and Leukaemia Research, all expressed their extreme disappointment at the decision, stating that as bortezomib (Velcade) is a proven and licensed treatment, no myeloma patient in the UK should die without having access to it.

"This represents probably the single biggest set back in the history of the treatment of myeloma and the entire myeloma community is devastated about the decision", said Eric Low, Chief Executive of Myeloma UK. "NICE are explicit in their final guidance that bortezomib (Velcade) is clinically effective and recognise the lack of an alternative. That fact is not up for dispute; rather, this is an unmistakable instance of where the cost of treatment is seen as more important than peoples' lives.

"We are calling on the Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt, to urgently revise NICE's scope to enable it to evaluate treatments for less common cancers. Account needs to be taken of the fact that development costs for novel drugs in smaller cancers are inevitably higher than for treatments for more common illnesses.

"In NICE's assessment of bortezomib (Velcade), it was compared against a licensed, but very low cost, standard treatment that represents a poor standard of care. In rejecting bortezomib (Velcade), therefore, patients are left with no alternative to turn to.

"We must therefore try to look for solutions for the myeloma community. We do not want to see a two tier health care system for patients, where those who can afford to dig deep in their pockets can access this important treatment privately whilst those being treated on the NHS cannot. The charities involved in the appraisal, along with their stakeholders, will urgently review its position with a view to appealing against the decision."

Myeloma

-- Myeloma is a devastating form of cancer, which is currently incurable, but treatable

-- It is a cancer of the plasma cells, which are found in the bone marrow. Most symptoms are caused by build up of defective plasma cells in the marrow, these include: bone pain, bone fractures, fatigue, anaemia and an increased burden of infections

-- The incidence of myeloma is increasing faster than any other cancer in the Western world. It has increased by 30% over the past 30 years

-- It is more common than all but one form of leukaemia

-- Nearly 4,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with myeloma each year and there are 20,000 myeloma patients in the UK at any one time.

-- The life expectancy of a newly-diagnosed myeloma patient is 3-5 years

-- Eight people die from myeloma every day

-- Treatment in myeloma is aimed at halting the progress of disease and treating the symptoms of the disease to maintain and improve the patient's quality of life

-- The most common forms of treatment include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, steroids, stem cell transplants, thalidomide and new treatments such as Velcade

-- Originally considered an older person's disease, the incidence of myeloma is now increasing in the young, with 10-15% of patients now under the age of 55

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