Cancer research.

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There are plenty of charities who between them collect millions of pounds for cancer research, and while it is put to good use with methods discovered which cure some cancers and others that at least reduce growths, giving the sufferer a longer and less painful life,it must anger the scientists when the end result is not allowed to go on the market because the cost to the National Health Service would be too great.

A new drug called "avistan" is one such drug that can cure bowel cancer, but deemed to be too expensive to allow sufferers to reap the benefits of it.

Think of the money spent to bring these drugs onto the market, and the money donated by people who most likely have lost someone close to them in the hope that it will save others from going through the pain and suffering they witnessed, then ask yourself why can these drugs not be used.

What is the point of developing these drugs only to be told, "we have a cure but we cannot afford to give you it.
The very people who donated money towards cancer research are the type of people who are refused the treatment, so where is the justice in that?

The drug companies must find a way to to produce these drugs that will make them available to everyone, whether it means cutting their profits or by going to the government for help.

If the government can come up with billions of pounds, all of a sudden to bail out the banks then they should be able to assist in the distribution of these important drugs that will save the lives and suffering of the people they were supposed to help.
I wonder how much of Fred Goodwin's vulgar pension, will go towards charities, because with his track record, his policy will be "charity begins at home."
It's the likes of him and the rich rip off merchants from the city who can afford this treatment who will benefit, the very people who have no thought for anyone else, and who I doubt very much if they care about any charity, while the poor folk who would give their last are the victims again.

The drugs were discovered through the determination of our scientists, and the well meaning people who donate so much money to the cancer research charity, so it should not be too difficult to let them see their efforts come to fruition, without money grabbing companies cashing in.

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• NHS says it's too expensive to keep you alive (telegraph.co.uk)

Sir Bobby Robson.

Image via Wikipedia

I don't normally do obituaries but I am going to make an exception today.
I never met Sir Bobby Robson, and can only go by the way he came across on TV, but even so the personality of the man shone through.
You could feel the passion he had for the game of football, and was always humble, both in victory and defeat, taking nothing for granted,learning to accept whatever life threw at him without complaint. Even when cancer struck, he battled that also with the same courage and humility that he lived his life by.
Fitting words like, true gentleman, and legend have been mentioned in most of the obituaries written about him,and if they had never got round to knighting him, he would have commanded enough respect to be addressed as Sir by those who were lucky enough to come in contact with him.
"SIR BOBBY ROBSON" one of the few men in this modern era who REALLY deserved his knighthood.

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• Sir Bobby Robson dies (guardian.co.uk)
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