Thousands more cancer patients in England will be offered vital treatments in a £160m boost to the Cancer Drugs Fund, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced today.

The fund has helped more than 55,000 cancer patients since it was set up four years ago to provide pioneering drugs to those who need them most. It will now be increased from £200m a year to £280m a year – meaning many more patients with rare conditions will benefit from life-extending drugs recommended by their doctor.

With the number of people diagnosed with cancer each year increasing by 9 per cent since 2009, and the rising costs of ever more sophisticated drugs, the Fund has an important role in helping patients access treatment.

Alongside the multimillion pound injection of funds to help patients, cancer experts at NHS England have pinpointed two new cutting-edge drugs which will be added to the fund. These are:

1. Xtandi (enzalutamide) for prostate cancer
2. Revlimid (lenalidomide) for a new group of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome

For more details, go to: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-more-patients-to-benefit-from-additional-160-million-for-cancer-drugs