Belgian University hospitals will work hand in hand with pharmaceutical companies to offer a bigger range of medication to patients suffering from cancer. They want to give patients access to more than just the standard registered treatments for their type of cancer. Belgium is one of the only countries where that will be possible, Het Laatste Nieuws and De Morgan reported on Saturday.
Right now, the law says cancer patients can only take medication registered for their specific type of cancer. However, for some patients, medication usually given for other types of cancer can have a beneficial effect. This is why the Belgian Society of Medical Oncology wants University hospitals and pharmaceutical companies to work together.
For academic research, patients can receive medication that is not registered to treat their type of cancer. “The type of cancer will no longer define the type of treatment given. It will be based on the mutation of the tumour cells. This way, patients will have access to a larger range of treatments”; says Jacques De Grève, President of the Belgian Society of Medical Oncology.
(Source: Belga)
