Cancer patients march for life-extending drugs
Kiwi women with advanced breast cancer have marched on Government calling for funding for medicines that could help add years to their life expectancy.
More than 100 women and their supporters took to the steps of Parliament yesterday to present two petitions demanding funding for Ibrance and Kadcyla – medicines hailed as ‘‘game changers’’ for those battling the disease.
National health spokesman Michael Woodhouse was on hand to accept the petitions.
Petition organiser Terre Nicholson said the ‘‘desperately’’ needed medicines would add years to affected women’s lives.
‘‘More time with our loved ones, to celebrate a 25th birthday or 50th wedding anniversary, to prepare our children for growing up without a mother. That’s something worth fighting for.’’
The two drugs in question currently come with significant price tags with Kadcyla costing $10,000 every three weeks. On average, the drugs prolong the lives of women with advanced breast cancer by two years.
Nicholson is part of a group known as Metavivors, people who have joined together to support each other through Facebook and friendship because of their shared journey with advanced breast cancer.
‘‘We simply want the same chance at extra years to live as citizens of other OECD countries have.
‘‘New Zealand has fallen way behind our counterparts in providing life extending drugs for the metastatic breast cancer community,’’ Sue Wall-Cade, fellow petition organiser said.
Breast Cancer Foundation NZ’s chief executive Evangelia Henderson described the lack of funding for drugs that extend the lives of advanced breast cancer patients as ‘‘heartless and cruel.
‘‘Why do people have to set up a Givealittle page, or worse, sell their house, to access these drugs?,’’ she said.