CANCER campaigners have suffered a setback after yet another life-extending treatment was deemed too expensive for NHS prescriptions.

Kidney cancer patients were told Everolimus, which could give an extra three months’ life, was not good enough value for money.

The drug-rationing body the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) announced the decision yesterday. Oxford Mail columnist and cancer campaigner, Clive Stone, from Freeland, near Witney, said the decision “stunk”.

He campaigned successfully to make Sunitinib, a first-line treatment for cancer, available on the NHS.

Everolimus is the next option for people when Sunitinib no longer works.

Mr Stone said: “Again, patients unlucky enough to have a rare cancer have been abandoned by NICE and the NHS, to which we have all contributed a lifetime of taxes.”

One cycle of treatment costs £5,264 per patient.

NICE boss Sir Andrew Dillon said funds had to be used to best effect, but added: “A diagnosis of renal cancer is devastating for patients and we are disappointed not to be able to recommend Everolimus.”