HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - is herceptin available in the uk for primary b c ?

05-18-2005, 03:58 AM

Yes. It isn't normally available for early stage cases as it falls outside NICE guidelines. In other words it is a lottery with your local NHS provider and the clout of your consultant (or his/her budget).

However, it is made available off-label privately through most cancer centres. My wife is HER2+++ er-/pr- node-negative, but was put on 12 months of Herceptin (FEC100 then H + Docetaxel)) last August as she was high risk for recurrence.

It isn't cheap but if you shop around some consultants try to keep the costs and arrangements on the 'humane' side when not dealing with insurance companies. Best bet is to get your GP, surgeon or local hospital to refer you privately to a specialist centre like the Royal Marsden where they are a bit more savvy on what's available and how - given that they run many trials and doing off label regimens seems less of a problem. In fact, I'd pick somewhere that is running HERA trials as the pharmacy is not short of the raw material!!

I think with some wheedling you can probably swing it so you only have to cover the cost of the non-NHS bits. So you might get the normal adjuvant courtesy of HMG and just have to pay for the Herceptin rather than the full service treatment.

Good luck.

05-18-2005, 03:58 AM	#3
JohnL Guest Posts: n/a	Yes. It isn't normally available for early stage cases as it falls outside NICE guidelines. In other words it is a lottery with your local NHS provider and the clout of your consultant (or his/her budget). However, it is made available off-label privately through most cancer centres. My wife is HER2+++ er-/pr- node-negative, but was put on 12 months of Herceptin (FEC100 then H + Docetaxel)) last August as she was high risk for recurrence. It isn't cheap but if you shop around some consultants try to keep the costs and arrangements on the 'humane' side when not dealing with insurance companies. Best bet is to get your GP, surgeon or local hospital to refer you privately to a specialist centre like the Royal Marsden where they are a bit more savvy on what's available and how - given that they run many trials and doing off label regimens seems less of a problem. In fact, I'd pick somewhere that is running HERA trials as the pharmacy is not short of the raw material!! I think with some wheedling you can probably swing it so you only have to cover the cost of the non-NHS bits. So you might get the normal adjuvant courtesy of HMG and just have to pay for the Herceptin rather than the full service treatment. Good luck.