Anthony Byrne (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to speak to a petition that I wish to table of 10,467 signatures. That petition relates to the availability of Herceptin on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for women that experience the early stages of breast cancer. This is an issue that in essence has, I understand, support across the political divide. Ten thousand, four hundred and sixty-seven Australians feel that Herceptin should be approved under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme so that it can be made available to women with early stage breast cancer.

About 13,000 women in Australia, as I understand it, each year are diagnosed with breast cancer. Of those 13,000 women, I am told 20 per cent have what they call HER2-positive breast cancer. I also understand, through clinical trials or trials that have occurred for some period of time, that this particular type of breast cancer, HER2, does respond to the drug Herceptin. In fact this drug is listed on the PBS for women that experience and suffer, I think, terminal stage cancer when the cancer metastasises. This is an incredibly important issue for women but also for men. Two hundred men per year experience breast cancer. That is nothing compared to the 2,000 to 3,000 women that have HER2-positive breast cancer. The fact is that we have a drug which is clinically proven to increase the chances of survival of breast cancer, particularly early stage breast cancer in women, and it is not listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for those women.

In these matters what strikes home are the personal stories. I would like to relate the story of Marie Bissels, who is 46, a grandmother and a mother of three children. She was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer last year. She has had months of chemotherapy. She has had 33 treatments of radiation. She has had surgery. This is a woman who has been through profound trauma in treating this particular cancer. Now she is told that she needs Herceptin to complete this recovery. Without Herceptin, she has about a 25 per cent chance of it reoccurring—with it, about an 83 per cent chance of it not reoccurring. But in order to be treated with Herceptin she has to pay, because she is a fairly tall person, $91,000—$6,000 for the first treatment and then $5,000 each for 17 treatments thereafter. Herceptin will basically cure this particular disease. We must allow people like Marie to have access to treatment and not have to pay $91,000. I urge members of this chamber to support this petition so women can get the treatment they justifiably deserve.

The petition read as follows—

To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives Assembled in Parliament:

The petition of certain citizens of Australia draws to the attention of the House that:

• There are currently over 2,000 HER-2 positive breast cancer sufferers in Australia.
• Herceptin benefits HER-2 positive breast cancer sufferers by significantly reducing the risk of breast cancer recurring.
• Herceptin is currently available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to advanced HER-2 positive breast cancer sufferers.
• Herceptin is not available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to early stage HER 2 positive breast cancer sufferers.
• Herceptin can only be accessed by early stage HER-2 positive breast cancer sufferers at a cost of between $50,000 and $70,000. Therefore early stage HER-2 positive breast cancer sufferers face a life and death financial dilemma.
• Safeguarding the lives of all HER-2 positive breast cancer sufferers and giving them the best treatments available is a national responsibility.

Your petitioners therefore request that the House fast tracks Herceptin onto the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for early stage HER-2 positive breast cancer sufferers.

from 10,467 citizens. (Time expired)