PDT in your soup ...

Thanks for that link.  My hubby has bowel cancer with mets on the liver so would not be suitable, yet, for him but is very interesting nonetheless!

It make me so cross, as it does everyone, the money spent on some drugs at the moment but are not available to the majority of those who need it due to the great expense.......WHAT A WASTE OF RESEARCH MONEY that is!!!

Having seen this link makes me believe I definitely would sell our house if Peter could go on this trial.  To cut down on the suffering from treatments and surgery is worth every brick!

Has anyone from Macmillan site made any comment on PDT yet?  I think we would all be interested in any comment you have please.

Cherryl

Hear, hear about the money spent on some research.  The problem, as I understand it,  is that the government is hardly doing any funding - it is virtually all funded by the pharmaceutical companies and, of course, this 'skews' the sort of research that is getting done. (Do, someone, correct me if I am wrong on this.)  It all boils down to money. This means that some treatments become 'cinderella' treatments, depeding on the goodwill of individuals.   It is a disgrace.  

No comments from anyone, except yours!  

Some of you should look at the link - there may be some real hope there.  Don't be put off by the video clips.   Remember, we are not talking any whacky alternatives here - this is really good science.

No PDT for liver mets - yet.  But I have no doubt that it is coming.  Sadly, probably not in time for my husband either. But we are going to be able to zap the primary.  Hooray!

Best wishes to all, Grace.

Buzzie,

I so agree with your coments on "cinderella" cancers. A reply from the prime minister's office to a queston about better treatment for mesothelioma patients said that all research in the UK is undertaken by Cancer Research UK, a charity, but I bleieve in reciept of some government funding.  After some campaigning by sufferers up and down the country, Cancer Research has a programme.  Don't hold your breath, all it amounts to is a statistical survey of where sufferers might have come into contact with asbestos.  Nothing to improve treatment, and quality of life. And then we read that the UK has one of the worst cancer survival rates in Europe!  As we well know, inovatory treatments are being used accross the world, UK health bosses just do not care.  The way the new treatments that do get past NICE are rolled out on a post code lottery basis is scandalous.  G. was told he was lucky to get chemo while it was still only licenced for limited use.  The alimta and cisplantin he was given cost around £3000 a time, for 6 cycles.  Small money compared to the monthly costs of drugs used for other cancers.  The treatment he has had with such success in Germany is currently being used in some areas for liver cancers, but even though it  is  equally effective for some lung cancers, there are no plans to extend its use to the UK.  For a so-called civilised country this is an absolute disgrace. Come on Macmillan, how about a campaign for equitable treatment for all types of cancers.

Daffie - thank you for all that.  You have given me much food for thought.  

The post code lottery is what has hit us so hard.  

As a postscript  to Cheryl: the trials that are going on, and indeed the treatment, should not cost any money for the patients.  They are just trying to raise money to fund the research.  

If anybody else is reading this (and you have all been remarkably silent)  don't be put off by the money aspect.

And now enough of that ... I will get off the soup-box - for the moment.

Hi everyone I am hoping that Tom is going to see Dr Laurence Lovat at UCL after christmas he is the consultant  that specialises in PDT there, he is looking at Tom's diagnosis at the moment,so I am keeping my fingers crossed he will be a suitable candidate .