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On May 1, pharmaceuticals used in disseminated HER2-positive breast cancer disappeared from the list of reimbursed drugs. At the moment, it is not known whether this is a conscious decision of the Ministry of Health or simply a mistake. The case caused a very emotional reaction from the patients on Twitter. As they write, withdrawing the refund is a scandal and even a form of euthanasia.
- Kadcyla, a drug that is a combination of targeted therapy with chemotherapy, entered the list of reimbursed drugs on January 1, 2020. This was information that pleased patients, patient organizations and oncologists
- As of May 1, 2021, drugs used in the treatment of metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer are no longer on the list of reimbursed pharmaceuticals. It is not known, however, whether this is simply a mistake
- “No reimbursement is a death sentence” – comments one of the patients
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage.
What is disseminated HER2 positive breast cancer?
HER2 positive is a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer that grows rapidly and metastasizes. In the case of disseminated breast cancer (which causes metastases to distant organs), there is usually no complete recovery from the disease. Treatment is therefore based on extending the time that elapses before the disease progresses. According to the information published by the Tropic of Cancer oncology portal, this subtype of breast cancer in 2019 affected approx. 18 – 20 percent. women.
- See also: Polish women die of breast cancer. Money from the government is not helping
Kadcyla is called a conjugate that extends the time to relapse, but also precisely attacks the cancer cells themselves, without destroying those that are healthy. On January 1, 2020, it was added to the list of reimbursed drugs. It was a huge change for patients, because previously the pharmaceutical was only available as part of Emergency Access to Drug Technologies. This meant that in order for the patient to be able to receive it, not only had to meet specific conditions, but it also required a procedure in which the oncologist applied to the Ministry of Health. After positive verification, the patient was given permission for three administrations or three months of treatment. After this time, the doctor had to ask for permission to continue the treatment again.
– It is not easy to reconcile the needs of many groups of patients with breast cancer with the financial capacity of the state – said Krystyna Wechmann from the Federation of Amazon Associations. – Polish patients with disseminated HER2-positive breast cancer have waited seven years for access to the cadileptic drug since its registration. Therefore, all the more I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the fact that this drug is available today.
No refunds for the drug for patients with breast cancer? Comments
On May 1, 2021, the refund was not listed. This met with opposition from the patients. On Twitter, under the hashtag #OdddtujRefundacje, there are comments alarming about a disturbing shortage.
“Yesterday I submitted an interpellation to the Minister of Health on the withdrawal of treatment reimbursement for patients with breast cancer Her2 + / OUN,” writes Urszula Zielińska, MP.
«ALL LINE OF TREATMENT FOR WOMEN WITH HER2 POSITIVE BREAST CANCER WITH CNS TRANSPORT WAS FORBIDDEN. The lines available so far: Kadcyla and Lapatinib and capecitabine are now not reimbursed. Cykliby you also take us? » – one of the cancer patients asks.
“And apparently euthanasia in Poland is illegal” – comments another.
«My mother died of breast cancer, diagnosed too late to be treated. Two years later, still remembering the unbearably sad smell of Gliwice oncology, I returned there, this time as a patient, not a companion. No reimbursement is a death sentence »adds the cancer patient.
Less than a year and a half after cadillas were added to the list of drugs, it was deleted or omitted.
– In fact, the last list lacked two lines of treatment for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer – comments Nikola Jennek, director of external relations of the Polish Society of Oncology with Medonet. – The doctors with whom I spoke cannot explain why this happened. However, this is probably a mistake of the ministry. It seems impossible for them to take these drugs because that is the standard of treatment. We have no feedback on whether they will be restored or not. We hope that it is a classic mistake – someone did not notice, did not take care of it. There were no discussions on this topic so that these drugs would not be included in the latest list – he adds.
We have already asked the Ministry of Health for a comment on this matter and we are waiting for an answer. The president of PiS, Jarosław Kaczyński, has recently announced that, under the Polish Deal, healthcare in Poland will be more co-financed, and a lot of emphasis will be placed on cancer patients. If we are not dealing with a mistake, but with the actual withdrawal of the refund, this is a serious step back in the treatment of cancer in Poland.
Also read:
- Tumors that kill fastest
- Cancer doesn’t have to mean breast loss
- What do Polish women die most often? New report
- Can Early Breast Cancer Be Cured? Explains the oncologist
- What can you do to reduce your risk of breast cancer? The list goes on and on
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