£25,000...or die

Ian Dobbin, 54, of Acomb, said a cure for his leukaemia did exist, but the cash-strapped North Yorkshire & York Primary Care Trust was not prepared to pay for it.

The father-of-two now faces a bill of £25,000 if he wants to survive - but the former engineer, who had to take early retirement because of his illness, said he simply could not afford it.

He said: "It is a death sentence for me. I feel absolutely gutted because there is no way I can find that sort of money.

"My life is dependent on getting this drug and without it I will die. I am totally devastated.

"I've been paying my national insurance all my life and when it comes to the point that I need it to keep me alive, they are not prepared to help. I don't really know what to do. My consultant is appealing the decision and I'm just praying that they change their minds."

Mr Dobbin was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in April last year.

He was successfully treated with chemotherapy last summer, but a rare complication - previously unseen in York Hospital - damaged his brain and left him barely able to walk.

Two months ago, Mr Dobbin's cancer returned and now hospital consultants have identified clofarabine as the only alternative drug that can save him.

Consultant haematologist Dr Lee Bond said: "Mr Dobbin needs more chemotherapy, but we don't want to give him the normal chemotherapy because of the complications he had before.

"Clofarabine, followed by a bone marrow transplant, is the only treatment that would offer him a chance of a cure. It is not a licensed drug for treatment of this particular type of leukaemia, but it has been used in clinical trials.

"The initial response of the PCT was to say they would not fund it, but I have appealed against the decision because I feel this man has a potential cure for his leukaemia and he should not be denied it."

Mr Dobbin said doctors had not told him how long he could be expected to live without the new chemotherapy, but said: "If I'm not treated, I'll probably die, without a doubt."

Fact file: Clofarabine

* A drug used to treat certain types of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children and young adults between the ages of one and 21 who have already received at least two treatments of chemotherapy* It is a class of medications called purine nucleoside antimetabolites and works by killing existing cancer cells and limiting the development of new cancer cells * Possible side-effects include tumor lysis syndrome, bone marrow problems, dehydration and low blood pressure* It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer, including acute myeloid leukaemia.

Only 2,000 patients are diagnosed with the illness in the UK every year.

Treatment options considered case by case'

DAVID Geddes, medical director of the PCT, said it would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases. But he said: "As part of a patient's treatment plan, clinicians may wish to use a drug that is not routinely offered. This can be considered by clinicians on the individual case panel'.

"The panel looks at each case on its own merits and considers what treatment options are available for the patient. The evidence base for therapies is examined to ensure that the PCT is commissioning effective, safe, appropriate treatment.

"Such information is available from sources such as the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence which regularly publishes guidance regarding the clinical and cost-effectiveness of therapies.

"The PCT also has to carefully consider the use of any drug when its use is proposed outside the drug's licence indications.

"While we do appreciate the difficult circumstances around any decision regarding access to drugs, the PCT has a responsibility to ensure that it uses its resources both safely and effectively."