As each week passes, Brenda Odovichuc feels better and better.
Fighting an aggressive stage 4 breast cancer, the 33-year-old Red Deer woman responds with a strong “yes” when asked if she credits the new front-line drug Lapatinib with helping prolong her life.
Odovichuc, and a woman from Edmonton, 42-year-old Kelly Mah who has the same advanced breast cancer, have become comrades in arms in a campaign to convince the province of Alberta to cover the cost of Lapatinib. Used mainly in the treatment of advanced breast cancer, it’s shown to stop or slow the illness.
Stage 4 is the most advanced level of cancer. Stage 4 means it has spread, in Odovichuc’s case, first to her sternum, and then on to other parts of her body. She began taking Lapatinib in July.
Her recent CT scan has been promising. It showed no new tumour growth.
She’s been feeling better, walking her dog daily, doing a little work, maintaining her household, going to Bible study. “I’m not laying in bed waiting to die.”
But Lapatinib is very expensive. Approved recently in Canada for prescription, it costs about $3,500 per month. Perhaps aware of how time is of the essence with the aggressive breast cancer involved,
Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan have moved quickly and already approved coverage of the drug. British Columbia is apparently close to approval.
An Alberta Health and Wellness spokesman said five weeks ago like all cancer drugs, Lapatinib must go through due process, and a recommendation on whether to cover the drug’s cost should be available soon for consideration.
Odovichuc recently presented the minister with a petition requesting Lapatinib be covered. Last week she followed it up with a call to the minister, who hadn’t responded as of Monday.
Odovichuc, who has been on Lapatinib since July, hopes to hear Alberta will cover the drug — not just for her sake. She happens to have private health care coverage that covers much of the cost of the drug, but notes that not everyone can afford expensive cancer drugs not approved for coverage.
Even with her own plan through her husband’s work, and some assistance from the drug company, her monthly cost for Lapatinib is still $400. Odovichuc hasn’t worked much since being diagnosed two years ago.
Private health plans are not intended to cover the heavy cost of drugs like those used to fight cancer. The plans would be drained quickly if they did. In fact, Odovichuc’s private health plan did cover 100 per cent of her prescriptions at first. But her husband’s employer was forced to reduce their drug coverage to 80 per cent because of her claims.
“I know women who are not taking the drug because they can’t afford it,” Odovichuc says. “I feel the Alberta government is letting breast cancer patients, such as myself, down. Why isn’t Alberta covering this drug when others are?”
Whatever the province decides, this leads to a larger issue.
As medical science presents us with more and more life-extending drugs and procedures, when is the cost too much to bear, not just for individuals but also for government?
Albertans need to begin to have this very difficult discussion.
Mary-Ann Barr is Advocate assistant city editor.