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Some other news form the UK is that the people responsible for deciding what drugs are available (NICE) have this week decreed that Herceptin will not be used for patients who have advanced breast cancer once it has spread beyond the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and any patients currently getting herceptin where it has spread beyond this will have it withdrawn. In the light of the Tykerb (also known as Tyverb over here) withdrawal it seems they dont want to do much for anyone in the UK with advanced breast cancer! It seems a ludicrous situation that they will give herceptin if its in the brain but it is known that tykerb is much more effective in these circustances as herceptin does not pass the blood brain barrier as effectively. Also for brain mets they will offer whole brain radiotherapy - you may or may not be aware that there are no cyberknife machines here in the UK.
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