Cancer Control Agency's Latest Report Is A Missed Opportunity

Responding to the Cancer Control Agency’s latest report on the funding of cancer drugs in Aotearoa, Ah-Leen Rayner, chief executive of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, said:

“This is a timely report, given we are awaiting the overdue findings of the Pharmac review. It’s a good start, but unfortunately it won’t bring any comfort to the Kiwi breast cancer patients who are fighting for the treatment they need.

“Te Aho of Te Kahu’s analysis identifies just one single breast cancer drug available to Australians that Kiwis can’t access. We know of at least one other that’s been approved across the Tasman recently, and in total, 15 unfunded breast cancer drugs meet the high benefit threshold used in Te Aho’s report. They’re available in other countries and are recommended in international treatment guidelines. When we’re hearing from oncologists urgently wanting to prescribe drugs they believe will work for their patients who have no other options, this report is nothing but a missed opportunity to fully ‘Understand the Gap’.”

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