Jennie George (Throsby, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Environment and Heritage) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Nearly a year ago the Australian Cancer Council called for the rapid listing of Herceptin for the benefit of about 2,500 women each year diagnosed with early breast cancer. International research showed the drug reduced the risk of breast cancer recurring in patients with a particular form of early stage breast cancer known as HER2 positive breast cancer.

At $50,000 to $70,000 per year for the treatment, Herceptin is a very expensive drug. We know how communities across Australia have shown amazing resourcefulness, energy and compassion in raising funds to help individual women get access to Herceptin. Our own community in the Illawarra has rallied magnificently to assist a number of women in averting the possibility of their families having to sell homes to pay for their treatment.

In July this year, thousands of women with early stage breast cancer sighed with relief and were given hope by the recommendation of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee to list Herceptin on the PBS. This expert committee undertook a stringent review process to ensure the treatment by Herceptin is cost effective and provides real benefit to patients before its approval for listing on the PBS.

However, the final decision as to whether Herceptin is subsidised for Australian women now rests with the federal government. The Minister for Health and Ageing, Tony Abbott, needs to take a submission urgently to the cabinet for approval. This last hurdle should be addressed expeditiously. Each day that passes before the drug is approved for subsidy will see as many as eight women diagnosed with HER2 positive primary breast cancer. Each day that passes creates undue pressure for women and their families.

I trust these women are aware of some assistance being provided by Roche Australia to offset the high expense of the treatment. Women who commenced Herceptin treatment from June 2005 should talk with their oncologist and establish their eligibility for at least some subsidised treatment that is currently on offer.

In December last year in parliament I raised concerns that one of my constituents in Horsley had been denied access to the special program which subsidised Herceptin for women with advanced breast cancer. The woman in question was diagnosed five years ago with breast cancer, leading to a mastectomy and radiation treatment. The cancer reappeared in the right chest wall. Despite her oncologist’s advice that the cancer would respond well to treatment with Herceptin, the application for subsidised treatment was initially refused on the grounds that the cancer had returned in the chest wall rather than in the bones, liver, brain or lungs.

Thankfully, following representations to the minister, this farcical rejection on a mere technicality was reversed and the woman in question went onto subsidised treatment. The patient and her family faced enormous pressures waiting for the approval.

And so today the thousands of women now waiting for the government’s final approval are also in a very tense and anxious situation. I again repeat that each day of delay by the government is causing untold anxiety for many women and their families. The government must surely be aware of the considerable community interest in a quick resolution of this issue, as reflected in the petitions tabled by members on both sides of the chamber.

I take this opportunity to commend the Illawarra Breast Cancer Support Group and Gloria Swift, in particular, for agreeing to host the Regional Field of Women planned for 22 October at the WIN Stadium in Wollongong. It is a day when 11,800 pink silhouettes together with 100 blue ones will be planted to represent the number of women and men diagnosed with breast cancer each year and 2,800 white silhouettes in commemoration of those who die. I trust that participants in this significant day in our local calendar will hear the long awaited announcement that the government has given approval for Herceptin to be subsidised on the PBS.