Topotecan and cervical cancer

In its Final Appraisal Determination, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recommended topotecan in combination with cisplatin as a treatment option for women with recurrent or stage IVB cervical cancer only if they have not previously received cisplatin.

Women who have previously received cisplatin and are currently being treated with topotecan in combination with cisplatin for recurrent and stage IVB cervical cancer should have the option to continue their therapy until they and their clinicians consider it appropriate to stop.

Rarer Cancers Forum welcomes this decision which gives a valuable treatment option for patients who have not previously received cisplatin.

Sorafenib for advanced primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma)

In its second Appraisal Consultation Document (ACD), NICE does not recommend sorafenib for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients for whom surgical or locoregional therapies have failed or are not suitable.

This is a deeply disappointing preliminary recommendation. Sorafenib is the first systemic drug in 30 years to show a significant survival benefit for patients with advanced HCC.  It is the accepted standard of care in the majority of countries in Europe and North America.