Anthony Byrne (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I rise following the contribution by the member for Cunningham to talk about Herceptin and the inexcusable delay experienced by women and men suffering breast cancer in being able to access that drug on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. It is an issue that has caused enormous concern in my area. In fact, I will talk later about a 28,000-signature petition compiled by a lady who is fighting for her life but is very angry about the fact that the government is ignoring her plight and her demand that Herceptin be listed on the PBS as soon as possible.

I want to tell this story through the eyes of two extraordinary women who are fighting the devastating effects of breast cancer and demanding the government take action to ease their plight. They are Marree Bissells and Kathy Levanic. These two women have been to hell and back. They have fought a life-threatening illness and endured the hardships of treatment and are very angry at John Howard and Tony Abbott for the delays in providing a drug that they believe could save men and women in Australia. They do not understand why it is not listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

The first extraordinary lady is Kathy Levanic. She is a resident of Hallam, who is 39 and married with children. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2005. Interestingly, she read about Kylie Minougue’s experience and went to the doctor, who found a lump in her breast. She discovered that she had a very aggressive form of breast cancer and sought treatment. She had cancer in nine lymph nodes and had 15 removed. She endured months of radiation therapy and chemotherapy before being told that Herceptin was her best chance of survival. But she was also told that, because it is not listed on the PBS, it would cost her $64,000 to save her life. Fancy being at the end of a treatment protocol and then being told, ‘By the way, you’ve just got to mortgage your house to save your life.’ It is absolutely disgraceful. She has had to raise $40,000 through the generosity of the community through sporting clubs and great schools like Eumemmerring Primary School.

The second extraordinary woman, who has organised a petition of 28,000 signatures in my area, is Marree Bissells. I have a 16,000-signature petition that I cannot table in this House tonight but will table later. That adds to the petition of 12,000 other signatures that I have already tabled in the Main Committee. Marree is 46 and a mother of three. In June last year she found out that she had breast cancer. She had to endure months of chemotherapy and radiation therapy and then was told that, to get the maximum effect of those very harrowing and enduring treatments, there is a two-month window to utilise Herceptin. But she was told she would have to pay up to $91,000 to save her own life because it is not listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Imagine how she feels. She had to consider mortgaging her home to access a life-saving treatment. She said to get to the point of having the Herceptin treatment she had to endure:

... painful disfiguring surgery, many months of harsh debilitating side effects from chemo, weeks of continuing radiation treatment which burns your skin and adds to your fatigue and then when it’s the most beneficial time to start herceptin we have to wait, the best time to start ticking by adding to the despair, frustration and tears in an already very lonely place.

She has a message that she asked me to read to John Howard tonight. In her words:

Mr Howard you like giving money to people overseas when they need help but what about people here in your own Country who need Herceptin—we need your help to save lives, but us, here in Australia get nothing from you.

Mr Howard that is a national disgrace.

Mr Howard the over 2000 people with HER2 positive breast cancer in Australia continue to suffer, These are the same people who have worked hard, paid their taxes and built the prosperity of this nation you so often talk about. Why won’t you help us Mr Howard?

Mr Howard the thousands of HER2 positive breast cancer sufferers have been physically damaged and emotionally drained by this illness. Now for us funding treatment for Herceptin ourselves we are being financially damaged and that is too much to bear. Whilst our bodies may heal and we may pick up the pieces of our lives for some it is the financial damage that they will never be able to recover from. This is simply unacceptable.

If the listing of Herceptin is not about money but about safety then herceptin has been proved safe and effective.

I have here the relevant Therapeutic Goods Administration press release.

Why do obstacles continue to be put in our way? Barriers from us getting the best chance to live, the best chance to see our kids and our grandkids grow up.

In the words of someone who is fighting for her life and who organised a 28,000-signature petition, it is a disgrace that Herceptin is not listed on the PBS. (Time expired)