"Big cancer bills covered" - Canada

Big cancer bills covered
July 2, 2008

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Robert Benzie
QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU CHIEF


The Ontario government is set to spend an additional $50 million for greater access to three expensive cancer drugs, sources told the Toronto Star.

Insiders say Health Minister David Caplan will announce today that Avastin, Sprycel and Alimta are to be covered under the provincial drug formulary.

The new money is Caplan's first major initiative since taking over the province's largest ministry from George Smitherman after a cabinet shuffle two weeks ago.

While the additional cash will improve cancer patients' chances of getting the drugs, it's not clear whether everyone who requests them will get them.

Cancer Care Ontario says about 3,000 patients are seeking Avastin, so that one $40,000-a-treatment medication alone could add as much as $120 million to the drug budget.

That's more than twice the $50 million of new money being earmarked for all three drugs.

Of the three, Avastin may be the best known to Star readers thanks to a front-page story published two years ago yesterday.

The piece, by reporter Tanya Talaga, introduced readers to Esther Hart, a mother of one who succumbed to colon cancer in April 2007 at the age of 39.

Diagnosed just five months after the birth of her daughter Sophie, Hart went public to encourage the province to pay for Avastin, which increases the average length of survival by almost two years when used in conjunction with chemotherapy.

"I want to let the world know that I, a 38-year-old mother of a 2 1/2-year-old daughter, am the face of colon cancer," she had told Talaga in an email. "People see colon cancer as an 80-year-old man's disease and, quite frankly, there are other diseases that pull harder on people's heartstrings," the young mother wrote.

"Each month or year that I get from adding Avastin to my health care tool kit, the closer I get to my daughter actually having a memory of her mother."

Her powerful, poignant plea spurred readers to action. They wrote letters and sent Hart gifts, including a quilt made by a group of Toronto women.

Among those inspired were actress Cynthia Dale and her friends singer Molly Johnson, author Jane Urquhart and the comedy troupe Women Fully Clothed.

They held a benefit at the Lula Lounge on Nov. 29, 2006, a highlight of which was an emotional photomontage of Hart, Sophie and Hart's partner, David, as Jann Arden's song "Good Mother" played.

The publicity generated by that event, and by Hart's family and friends in her west end Toronto neighbourhood, kept political pressure on the government.

MPPs including Liberal Kim Craitor (Niagara Falls), New Democrat Peter Kormos (Welland) and former Nickel Belt NDP member Shelley Martel pushed to have Avastin added to the list of covered drugs.

In April, Kormos took then health minister Smitherman to task on the issue, saying, "Avastin was approved by Health Canada way back in 2005, and then by British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Newfoundland."

The minister countered by noting that, "with respect to the provision of drugs related to cancer treatment, over the last four years, our investments in drugs for cancer treatment have gone up by 300 per cent or 400 per cent."

"On the particular matter of Avastin, I can tell the honourable member that there continues to be dialogue ongoing between the officials in the ministry who make these decisions and the company," Smitherman said at the time.

"We're hopeful that those conversations might be able to lead to a subsequent listing."

The other two drugs being listed on the formulary have also been hailed as effective by cancer patients and their doctors.

Sprycel, which costs $4,527 per treatment, tackles acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Alimta, which is $24,000 per treatment, is for non-small cell lung cancer.

Prior to today's announcement, patients have been forced to spend their own money for access to the drugs at private clinics.

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Not sure yet what this means for me - probably nothing. But, at least we're gaining some ground here!
It's a start...
Becky

[TrudieC]

That is great news Becky!  Oh I hope so much that they will approve for your treatment.

Much love,
Trudie

[nyc lady]

Beck - hopefully they will pay for your treatment??? and you can continue on the Avastin.  There is an organization here in the states that I just found out about because my mother has macular degenerative eye disease, and the standard treatment, which is covered she is allergic to (actually it is Avastin)...the new treatment they wanted her to take is not covered...we found the Chronic Disease Fund and they are paying a percentage of the treatment for her.  Maybe there is something similar in Canada???

Love you,
Pam

[butterflytc]

I hope it helps you and others out Becky. It is great news for so many.
hugs
butterflytc

[msjazz]

I hope this is good news for you. That would be wonderful. Always in my prayers,  Lv Donna