New treatment for lung cancer patients approved for NHS use

A new treatment which can help lung cancer patients live well for longer has been approved for use by the NHS in Scotland.

Doctors and campaigners welcomed the decision by the Scottish Medicines Consortium to allow the drug Keytruda, also known as pembrolizumab, to be used along with chemotherapy to treat people with an advanced stage of the most common form of lung cancer.

A total of 5,331 Scots – 2,592 men and 2,739 women – were diagnosed with the disease in 2017, representing about a sixth (16.5%) of all cancers diagnosed.

But just less than a 10th (9.8%) of patients are still alive five years after diagnosis.

The SMC’s decision means that patients with metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which about 90% of sufferers have, can now benefit from the immunotherapy treatment, as well as chemotherapy.

Paula Chadwick, chief executive of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, described it as a “huge step forward” which offers patients “another way to live well with lung cancer for longer”.

She said: “We are delighted by the SMC’s decision.

“It means that now more patients with NSCLC can access this beneficial treatment option.”

Ms Chadwick added: “Scotland has had one of the highest rates of lung cancer and approximately nine out of 10 patients with lung cancer have NSCLC.

“New treatment options like this are having a huge impact on people’s lives.

“They are keeping families together for longer and we will continue to campaign for more access to these life-lengthening treatments.”

Dr Brian Clark, consultant clinical oncologist at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, also hailed the decision as “very welcome news”.

He said: “While single-agent immunotherapy has been helping Scottish patients for several years, it is clear that many patients benefit from the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy given together.”