Trastuzumab: preparation and planning will avoid chaos

Trastuzumab has been shown to improve disease‐free, and overall, survival in women with early HER2‐positive breast cancer. It is undergoing rapid appraisal by NICE with the aim of providing prompt guidance for use within the NHS. The DOH has pledged to support its use, yet without increasing PCT funding for support services and additional drug costs. The criteria by which PCTs can decide or decline to pay for treatment remain unclear. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.