British celebs back drive for new cancer treatment

Source: news.sky.com/skynews
Author: staff

Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir David Frost are among a host of celebrities giving their support to a cancer charity campaigning for a new type of treatment to be made available nationwide.

The personalities are urging people to donate to medical trials of Photodynamic Therapy which, they say, could revolutionise cancer treatment in the UK and around the world. Killing Cancer (http://www.killingcancer.co.uk/) is aiming to raise £50m to fund further trials into Photo Dynamic Therapy, a treatment that tackles some forms of cancer by killing cells through a combination of drugs and light.

The treatment is a form of laser that starves the cancer of oxygen, allowing the body to heal and create new, healthy cells.
Its supporters say a single 20-minute session avoids the need for invasive surgery and the traumatic effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It is also, they argue, cost-effective – for example, a skin cancer treatment would amount to just £235, far less than other more traditional treatments.

Other well-known names supporting the charity include Chris Tarrant, Robert Plant, Jenny Seagrove and Roger Daltrey.
They are sending more than 200 million personal emails to fans and supporters, asking for funds to be allocated to their choice of one of half a dozen PDT trials.

“Both my mother and father died of cancer,” said Manchester United manager Sir Alex.
“I think PDT is an amazing first-step option before resorting to surgery.
“More patients should have access to it in our hospitals and the NHS should accept the charity’s offer of equipment and training without delay.”

Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant agreed, saying: “It really is an injustice that this form of treatment is not available to everyone in the UK.

“I have friends currently receiving PDT, but only because we pushed to get it.”

The charity is also calling on the Department of Health to accept its offer to fund the setting-up of 25 new cancer treatment and research centres around the UK that will offer this limited treatment. The charity’s director, David Longman, has been in discussion with the Department of Health cancer czar, Professor Mike Richards, and Health Minister, Ann Keen, for the past two years.

“In that time 16,000 men and women in the UK have been diagnosed and died with pancreatic cancer. Our teams have had a trial ready to roll out for nearly 10 years,” Mr Longman said.

“We have only had enough money to treat two of them so far. I think it’s a shameful situation.

“We need to raise £50m over the next three years to fund the development of PDT for throat cancer, brain tumours, breast cancer, cervical and vulval, pancreatic and bile duct cancer, prostate cancer and even brain tumours and MRSA.”