Cancer drug delay 'pro-death'

DENYING people access to potentially life-saving cancer drugs was described as "pro-death" yesterday by a leading cancer specialist.

Professor John Crown, who criticised delays in vital clinical drug trials at Dublin's Mater Hospital last week, said he could not see how delaying access to new drugs could be seen as "pro-life."

Prof Crown, who works at St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin where similar trials were delayed for similar reasons last year, made his comments as the row continued over the delays at the Mater of clinical trials of Tarceva.