MP WRITES TO HEALTH SECRETARY AFTER A SALFORD DOCTOR FIGHTING BOWEL CANCER IS LEFT TO SELF-FUND LIFE SAVING TREATMENT HERSELF

Mari Isdale, 37, turns to Salford MP and fundraising in her fight for cancer drug

Salford resident and fertility unit doctor Mari Isdale, 37 is having to fight on two fronts, not only from the reoccurrence of the cancer she beat three years ago, but now having to fight for funding to continue receiving the life-prolonging bowel cancer drug cetuximab on the NHS.

Mari was first diagnosed with cancer in 2015, and after two years of successful treatment with chemotherapy and cetuximab it went into remission in 2018. Sadly, Mari was diagnosed with a reoccurrence in November 2020, but even though resuming cetuximab treatment was recommended by her oncologist, the funding is not available on the NHS.

Under NHS England rules, there is a six-week treatment break policy for those who are treated with cetuximab, however for NHS Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, who all adhere to NICE Guidelines, they do not have a six week treatment break rule. 

Cetuximab is a type of targeted cancer drug. It is also known by its brand name Erbitux. It can be used in the treatment of advanced bowel cancer as well as some head and neck cancers that start in the mouth and throat.

It is a type of monoclonal antibody. Monoclonal antibodies (MABs) are laboratory made copies of a single antibody which seek out cancer cells by targeting particular proteins on the cell surface.

Bowel Cancer UK have questioned the reasoning for the treatment break policy in a letter to the Government in 2018, in which they said:

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“it is unclear what the rationale, reasoning and evidence base is for the treatment break policy”. 

Mari is now having to fundraise the expensive treatment herself and has reached out to her local MP, Rebecca Long-Bailey for help.

The MP for Salford and Eccles said:

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“I have written to the Health Secretary about the awful position Mari and her family are in, having to try to self-fund the treatment that might save her life or give her important extra time with her family. This goes against both NICE guidance and the NHS Constitution. Getting medical treatment should be a right for absolutely everyone, not a privilege for those who can afford it.”

A copy of the letter in .pdf format is attached here: Letter to Health Secretary Matt Hancock from Rebecca Long-Bailey re Six week break policy for cetuximab treatment - Isdale.pdf

Mari’s family have set up a Go Fund Me for donations to help her pay for her cetuximab treatment: https://gofund.me/6ee44a6c