Prostate cancer sufferers ‘let down’
A man who has spent nearly a quarter of a million dollars on medicine to keep his prostate cancer at bay and prolong his life says New Zealand needs to be doing more to diagnose and fund treatments for the disease.
Paul Cherry, 76, was diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer in 2013. He underwent surgery and radiation, but the cancer had spread into his lymph nodes and metastasised in his bones.
In early 2020, the Papamoa man was offered three treatment options – all unfunded. Every 28 days, he pays $5500 for hormone therapy enzalutamide: ‘‘A heavy financial burden.’’
Prostate Cancer Foundation chief executive Peter Dickens said Kiwis had limited funded treatment options, meaning many faced the ‘‘stark’’ reality of finding money for treatment or a ‘‘significantly reduced’’ survival rate.
‘‘Without treatment, the prognosis is likely to be poor. Treatments readily available in Australia and other OECD countries are simply not being subsidised here. Our men are being let down,’’ Dickens said.
To date, the Cherrys have spent at least $217,000 on enzalutamide, which is keeping his cancer at an ‘‘undetectable’’ level.
Cherry said he and wife, Robyn, were fortunate to be able to fund treatment: they had savings, and sold their home for a profit when they moved into a retirement village.
But this isn’t the case for most, and it’s like ‘‘walking a tightrope’’. ‘‘The biggest stress I have, currently, is: how can I keep funding it? It’s keeping my cancer at bay, but when I run out of money, the outlook is not good,’’ Cherry said.
One in eight men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime: 42,000 Kiwi men are living with the disease, and 4000 are diagnosed each year.
Māori are disproportionately disadvantaged: though less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, they have a mortality rate 1.5 times higher than non-Māori.
Not everyone experiences symptoms – often, signs of prostate cancer are first detected during a routine check-up.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation recommends all men over 50 speak with their doctor about PSA (prostate-specific antigen) testing (a blood test), or from age 45 if there’s a family history.