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Avastin paying private/ versus available drugs on nhs

tonim
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Hi, my oncologist said last year had he met me earlier he would have put me on avastin, however that's not available now, but if I go on another chemo first and the results are not great we can then go on avastin. So for 6 months I was on chemo which kept the cancer at bay, neither growing or shrinking. I've since had a 4 month break and another ct scan.

The results have shown the cancer has grown and I have a new growth. I asked about avastin , but the drug has now been totally withdrawn from the nhs and no longer available.

I now feel whatever drug I'm going to be put on is going to be inferior, and I am thinking about paying private. Even downsizing the house in order to pay for it.

I'm so confused as to what to do.

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    Hi Tonim

    Welcome back to the forum. I am sorry to hear you are put in this position by the decision of an accountants pen, removing this and many other drugs used in cancer treatment from the approved lists. I'm aware a course of Avastin is around £20,000, not the sort of spare cash many people have lying around the house. The fact your oncologist would have prescribed you this drug had it been available suggests it could be beneficial for your cancer. You need to discuss it with the oncologist again, weighing up the benefits against the side effects, only then will you know how to proceed. Kim

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    Ive had 3 Oncology opinions (1 nhs and 2 private) and only one of the private suggested Avastin.

    He will approach my insurers for funding but that’s a whole rigmarole in itself ! 

    We’re not wealthy but I would be prepared to use savings to pay for it if insurance doesn’t cough up ! 

    One of the problems is they won’t sanction Avastins use until RT and Chemo have failed and I have declined both. It’s all so wrong !

    happy to share info 

    tia 

  • Offline in reply to susieq32

    Hi Tia, my name is Aina, I live in London. 

     Read about Avastin from Cancer chat and have few quistens for you. Please  

    My friend lives in Mongolia, she is 44 years old, has stage 3 ovarian cancer spread in to her liver. The doctors advised to her Avastin, and its not avialable in Mongolia. 

    Is there any chance i could buy Avastin in UK, do you know the price? 

    Any little information would be helpfull! 

    Thank you! 

    Kind regards 

    Aina. 

  • Offline in reply to Aina

    Hello i would doupt you can bye it here try the manufacturers they may know a country you can bye it from maybe usa ime not a dr but here its all so tightly controled plus its knowing how to administer it etc etc etc sorry only lay mans advice uk has not got the best reputation one paper said i quote uk is about on a par with european eastern block countrys and from what i saw with my partner some of the drs that treated her should hve a public health warning stamped on them never mind cigarettes .regards paul

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    Hi Tonim

    just seen your post and that it’s now 2 years on. I have the same dilemma and wonder what you ended up doing and whether it worked out for you.

    did you get the Avastin?

  • Offline in reply to HayleyWr

    Hi 

    I have a rare vascular condition called HHT. This is not a cancer, but Avastin is probably the only drug that will give me back my quality of life and prolong it.  My Consultant has applied for it and been refused 3 times in the last 2 1/2 years. However I am now blood transfusion dependent every 7 days, because I am destroying my own red blood cells.  I too, am now prepared to equity release my home to buy this privately. 

    Does anyone know if Avastin has been bought privately in the UK?  It is widely used in the US and many other countries to control HHT. 

  • Offline in reply to HayleyWr

    I’m afraid Tonim hasn’t been online since May 2017 when she gave us the news that she’d been told that she didn’t have many days left to live. Doubly tragic as she’d already lost her husband to cancer and they were both so young. 

  • Offline in reply to davek

    So very sorry to hear this. 

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