Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to findings presented at the 2015 European Cancer Congress on Lutathera, what assessment he has made of the reported benefits of that drug on treating patients with neuroendocrine tumours.

The clinical research findings on Lutathera, presented to the European Cancer Congress, have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has been asked to develop technology appraisal guidance on lutetium-177 dotatate for the treatment of unresectable, somatostatin receptor-positive, gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumours. NICE’s guidance is based on a thorough assessment of the available evidence and is developed through wide consultation with stakeholders.