New drug for rare cancers

PATIENTS in the Lothians suffering from rare blood and bone marrow cancers now have access to a new drug.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium has approved the use of the azacitidine drug to fight myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). It is thought around 40 people a year in the Lothians are diagnosed.

Chairman of the MDS UK Patient Support Group David Hall said: “We are delighted that, after a long campaign, azacitidine is at last available.”