Coleman must commit on IORT

“Health Minister Jonathan Coleman must say what international studies he is waiting on and what he’d need to see from them before introducing Intraoperative Radiotherapy Treatment to New Zealand’s public healthcare system,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“Today in Parliament, the Minister batted away any commitment to introducing IORT, saying that he would wait for international studies expected in 2020.

“The Minister was extremely vague, he did not say what those studies are. He would not say what they will confirm that has not been confirmed by a comprehensive study of 4,451 women in eleven countries over five years, which found that IORT is equally effective at killing cancer with fewer side effects after five years.

“At present, approximately 3,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer per year. Of those, around 1,000 could benefit from IORT. That would mean one day’s surgery replaces five weeks of radiation therapy. For women who do not live in a major centre this is benefit is enormous, so large that some rural women choose mastectomies over radiation therapy.”

Furthermore, a Deloitte Report Commissioned by the Ministry of Health, finds that IORT would be cheaper than conventional radiotherapy.

“The Minister needs to toughen up on the adoption of this technology, there is no longer any good reason to wait.”

ENDS

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