News alert / Cancer treatment

NHS England has announced a new treatment for patients with an aggressive type of blood cancer, known as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), following approval of the drug glofitamab by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and NICE. The drug is to be made available for patients with previously treated DLBCL – a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that develops in the glands – and will be available within weeks. Around 5,500 people are diagnosed with this type of cancer in England each year, mainly men aged 65 and over. NHS England will use the cancer drugs fund to provide fast-tracked access to the treatment ahead of its future funding from routine commissioning.