Thousands of cancer patients to get treated at home to avoid hospital Covid risk
THOUSANDS of cancer patients will be treated at home to avoid the risk of Covid-19 in hospitals under a new NHS scheme.
NHS England is making a selection of drugs available for patients diagnosed with conditions such as leukaemia, bowel cancer and prostate cancer, that can all be administered at home.
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Shielding has now ended in England and Scotland meaning that many people who had been classed as vulnerable are now starting to re-enter into the new normal.
Cancer patients were part of this shielding requirement. Experts say the roll out of the drugs is for the safety of patients, and will reduce their risk of contracting the coronavirus while visiting hospitals for treatment.
More than 50 drugs will be made available with many treatments being substitutes for chemotherapy or other medicines that would usually be given in hospitals.
Many cancer patients would usually have to visit hospitals around several times a month for treatment and the new initiative will mean they can be treated from the comfort of their own home.
Two of the treatments are a swap for chemotherapy in men with prostate cancer.
Enzalutamide and abiraterone can be taken at home instead and research has shown that the drugs could be more effective than chemotherapy - with some results showing that the treatment could reduce the risk of dying within three years by a third.
Bowel cancer is one of the biggest killers in the UK and it was previously reported that thousands more could die of the disease due to the fact that screening was halted at the start of the pandemic.
It is the second biggest cancer in the UK and causes over 16,000 deaths a year.
This is why The Sun previously launched the No Time 2 Lose campaign to urge people to talk about their number twos, in a bid to beat bowel cancer.
What is chemotherapy?
CHEMOTHERAPY is when anti-cancer drugs are used to destroy cancerous cells in the body.
There are numerous different of chemotherapy medication, but they have a similar purpose – to stop cancer cells multiplying so they don’t grow and spread in the body.
It can cause some unpleasant side effects, although many can be treated or prevented and will most likely pass after the treatment is over.
Before your chemo starts, you’ll have tests to see which treatment is suitable for you.
What are the side effects of chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy treatment can help kill cancer cells, but it can also cause damage to healthy cells in the body, including skin cells, blood cells and stomach cells.
As a result, patients may experience some unpleasant side effects, including:
- Tiredness
- Vomiting
- Hair loss
- Sore mouth
- Dry, sore skin
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Increase risk of infection
Some patients with bowel cancer are now being given a medicine called nivolumab.
This is instead of chemotherapy and the treatment teaches the body’s immune system to detect and fight tumours.
Patients with myeloid leukaemia are being prescribed Venetoclax pills.
This is an alternative to chemotherapy which can often cause severe side effects in patients.
The chief executive of the NHS, Simon Stevens said new “kinder treatments” are being adopted for patients.
“Since the first case of Covid in England six months ago, NHS staff have fast tracked new, innovative ways of working so that other services, including A&E, cancer and maternity, could continue safely for patients.
"It is thanks to these incredible efforts that 65,000 people could start treatment for cancer during the pandemic.
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“We are now adopting new, kinder treatment options which are not only effective but safer for use during the Covid-19 pandemic and more convenient for thousands of patients, who can take medication at home or be given medicines with less harmful effects on their immune system.”
Charities have praised the move and the chief executive of Cancer Research UK, Michelle Mitchell said it was “fantastic” to see this sort of progress during such a difficult period.
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“This is encouraging news for some patients, who could now go ahead with their treatment, when it might have previously been on hold due to Covid-19.
“In recent years, successful price negotiations between the NHS and drug manufacturers have significantly improved patients' access to new cancer medicines, but cancer doesn't stop because of a pandemic.”