National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Approved cancer drugs and treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy are funded by the NHS without any financial contribution being taken from the patient. Where NICE has approved a treatment, the NHS must fund it. But not all treatments have been assessed by NICE and these treatments are usually dependent on local NHS decision making. In the case of cancer the Cancer Drugs Fund was set up in 2011 after complaints about NICE decisions on new and expensive cancer drugs with limited benefits. Treatment for fertility problems are approved but not always funded by clinical commissioning groups and they may cap the number of rounds.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Additionally in 2015, the hospital opened The Laurie Proton Therapy Center. Made possible thanks to a lead gift from the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation as well as support from individual donors, it is currently home to the world’s third MEVION S250 Proton Therapy System. The center treats prostate, breast, lung, head and neck, brain, pediatric, pancreatic, and other cancers with what is currently considered to be the most precise form of cancer treatment. Instead of using conventional radiation therapy go destroy cancer cells, proton therapy uses a beam of protons that can be aimed directly at tumors. There is less damage to surrounding tissue, and doctors can use a higher dose of radiation than conventional therapy. The treatment is painless, has mild side effects, and has minimal risk. Proton therapy is part of a comprehensive range of advanced cancer treatment options offered by RWJ in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ), Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and private physicians in the community.