14 DAY TRIAL // Ann Marie Rogers, the woman diagnosed with breast cancer in an early stage, has won the trial for receiving the drug Herceptin. Last year, the 54-year-old cancer victim was refused Herceptin on the grounds that the drug was not licensed for use in the early stages of the disease.
This decision, made by the Court of Appeal in London, overruled an earlier High Court ruling, according to which the Swindon Primary Care Trustin Wiltshire did not have to pay for the drug which costs about $35,000 a year.
"I could not have asked for a better verdict. I did this for all women battling this dreadful disease. I believe everyone prescribed this treatment by their doctor should be given the same healthcare wherever they live. I can now look toward the future and have more confidence that I will win this battle against breast cancer," Rogers stated.
Herceptin, the drug for which the woman has fought, is part of the new generation of treatments which attack only cancer cells, being better tolerated than chemotherapy. The drug is approved only for women with advanced breast cancer, although it can be prescribed for less serious cases.
Some research show that the drug helps women in early stages of breast cancer, but doctors will fund the treatment only in exceptional cases.
Cancer charities welcomed the decision and hope it will "pave the way" for all breast cancer sufferers who might receive the drug free of charge. Initial trials have showed that Herceptin can halve the risk of a recurrence of breast cancer for certain breast cancer patients.