TWO primary care trusts (PCTs) say they will follow a health watchdog's ruling and not offer bowel cancer patients an £11,000 course of a drug on the NHS.

The drugs Erbitux and Avastin are used on patients in the advanced stages of bowel cancer and can prolong life for around four months.

But health watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) says it is not a cost-effective use of NHS resources.

A 16-week course of either drug would cost the NHS £11,200.

Both Greenwich and Lewisham PCTs say they will support the decision by NICE as soon as full guidance is published in November.

The appeal period on the ruling ends on September 5 at which point bowel cancer patients will have to arrange private treatment if they want the drug.

Erbitux was licensed in the UK in June 2004 following a British-led study and is freely available throughout the rest of Europe.

Treatment can see tumours shrink as much as 50 per cent and open up the option of life-saving surgery.

Lewisham PCT approved the drug for one bowel cancer sufferer in February last year but the man died just weeks after the funding was secured.

It followed a two-month battle by his family to get the NHS to fund the drug, which is normally prescribed to patients during a 16-week treatment period.

One Lewisham resident whose father died from bowel cancer and who wished to remain nameless described the news as a "cruel blow" to sufferers.

A Lewisham PCT spokesman said: "Lewisham PCT relies on NICE guidance when considering the cost effectiveness of drugs."

The spokesman added until the final publication of the NICE guidance, applications will be considered but after this patients will have to consider private treatment.

A spokesman for Greenwich PCT said: "Should NICE guidance be issued which recommends these drugs are not cost effective, the PCT will follow NICE guidance and not fund them."