But Dr. Eiermann proposed guidelines for treatment with Herceptin in discussions with private insurers and funds that provide health-care coverage for the vast majority of Germans. The guidelines follow U.S. practice, and in many cases physicians are required to seek specific authorization before beginning treatment. As long as the number of women seeking treatment remains small, he doesn't anticipate problems with access to Herceptin. But he frets about a possible crackdown by payers if, as expected, Herceptin is approved by EU regulators later this year and thousands of new breast-cancer patients clamor for the drug. It's all wait and see.
Politicians always are years behind developments in science.
Britain's Poor Showing In Britain, politicians largely ignored cancer until international studies of cancer survival highlighted the poor showing of patients treated in Britain's state-financed health system. The British government took the first step toward addressing the problem five years ago when medical directors from England and Wales issued a report urging an overhaul of cancer care to eliminate inequities in treatment and drug access. There was both patient and professional dissatisfaction with the way our cancer services were organized. A big chunk of that money will go to improving access to new cancer drugs. The role of NICE is to conduct cost-effectiveness studies for the health service.