NHS approves two new cancer drugs for children and adults with rare blood cancers

Around 200 patients a year in England will now receive two new life-saving treatments for rare blood cancers, NHS England has announced.

The first drug, dabrafenib, is a tablet that treats histiocytic neoplasms – rare and potentially deadly blood cancers. Without effective treatment, around one in ten children with high-risk disease die within a year of diagnosis, while seven in ten adults die within five years. The drug works by blocking proteins that help cancer cells grow. Patients can take it at home rather than in hospital, causing less disruption to daily life.

The second treatment is a new combination of brentuximab, vedotin and bendamustine for children as young as eight with Hodgkin lymphoma that has returned or not responded to initial treatment. Between 10% and 30% of Hodgkin lymphoma patients – around 180 to 540 people a year – face this situation. The combination targets cancer cells precisely, delivering treatment directly into them. It has achieved high remission rates and can help patients become well enough to receive a potentially life-saving stem cell transplant.

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer, called it "a landmark moment" for patients.

Gilbert