Fight of a Lifetime

At the age of 40, my husband Ray asked our family doctor to book him in for a colonoscopy. He'd watched a special on colon cancer and wanted to have the test, basically, for peace of mind. He was told that screening doesn't begin until the age of 50, unless there is a history of colon cancer in your family or if you have a history of polyps in the colon. Neither applied to Ray. Today, at the age of 45, Ray has Stage IV Colon Cancer. Ray's story is chronicled at: www.raybuckley.com

This Blog was created to share our experiences and provide information, support and encouragement for others who find themselves in the unfamiliar and very scary world of cancer. Initially, I am going to address the frustration that we, and all Ontario families who need access to new cancer fighting drugs are facing. Time is not a luxury for families in cancer crisis. As this Blog evolves, I hope it will be a source of light for those who are walking in the dark wilderness of colon cancer. Where you are now, we once were.     

After the initial shock wore off, we had to do an incredible amount of research to understand what a diagnosis of colon cancer meant, to understand the options presented to us, and to find out what resources were available. Battling cancer is more than battling a disease.

The Ontario Health Care system does not provide equal coverage for everyone. Those who can afford it, have access to a new cancer fighting drug - Avastin. It was specifically approved by Health Canada for the treatment of first-line advanced colorectal cancer. The majority of people can't afford the drug. In Ontario, the cost of Avastin is $2,200.00 every two weeks. The Windsor Regional Cancer Clinic applied for a break on the price of the drug for my husband through a new Avastin Assistance Program. They applied for one other person before my husband and that person received a $600.00 price reduction per treatment from Hoffman La-Roche, the distributor of Avastin. We are waiting to hear if Ray will get also get a price break.

Currently, Ontario doctors have recommended Avastin to 3,000 of their patients. The drug is taken in conjunction with standard chemotherapy for colon cancer. (FOLFIRI in my husband's case.)  Avastin, when it works, stops the progression of cancer 71% longer than chemotherapy alone. Ontario's Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, George Smitherman, says it is not a cure and it is too expensive for coverage by Ontario's Health Insurance Plan. If you don't dig very deeply, you may think he has a valid point. The truth, however, is just below the surface of his words.

Ontario's Ministry of Health does some mathematical hyperbole to defend their decision. They say that covering 3,000 people for Avastin would add 120 million dollars to the provincial health costs. Barry Stein, president of the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada, takes issue with the province's model for evaluating these treatments. In an interview with the Ottawa Sun on March 26th of this year, Stein said, "While treatments average $2,000 each and must be given every two weeks, these people have advanced diseases. So while 100 people may qualify in the beginning, that's not how many will be on the treatment. For some it won't work and they'll end it early. Others will die. There are others for whom the treatment works quite well. With the treatment and tumour shrinkage, surgery is able to go ahead. " My husband Ray falls into the last category. You can imagine our frustration.

Some very interesting information is coming to light as I research the Health Care System here in Canada. Avastin is not currently covered under the Veterans Affairs Canada Health Plan. The provinces of British Columbia and Newfoundland cover it through their provincial health insurance plan. Quebec has coverage if an oncologist requests the drug for a patient - they have found a workaround to get their patients covered for Avastin.

Interestingly enough, I found that the Public Service Health Care Plan added Avastin to its coverage. Which means, if you are a member of parliament or work for a government agency or corporation, if you are a federal judge or work for the RCMP, you can get Avastin and do not have to pay for it.

Hmmm.... the Canadian government doesn't approve the coverage of Avastin for its Veterans, the Ontario government doesn't approve the coverage of Avastin for its citizens, yet, the people making the decisions about who will not be covered, are they themselves covered for the drug. I wonder if they would decide differently if their own coverage had to be the exact same coverage they dictate to others?

The Ontario Government collected 2.5 Billion dollars last year through its new Health Care Tax. Where did all that new-found money go?