Chris Bowen (Prospect, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Like the honourable member for Cunningham and the honourable member for Holt, I want to raise the issue of the listing of Herceptin on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. I have spoken about this in the House in the past and I take this opportunity to again call for the listing of Herceptin on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. I understand the July meeting of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee will consider the listing of Herceptin, and it will be a travesty if it is not listed.

Breast cancer has touched all of us. I doubt that there is a single Australian who has not had a family member or close friend diagnosed with breast cancer at some point, 11,000 women being diagnosed with breast cancer each year. There is no doubt that Herceptin is useful in treating breast cancer in many cases—certainly not in all cases, certainly not even in the majority of cases, but in a significant amount of cases—and if we can help one woman get through the challenge of breast cancer we as the parliament have an obligation to do so. In fact, it is estimated that Herceptin will be useful in the treatment of about 25 per cent of breast cancer cases.

The New England Journal of Medicine reported in 2005 that combining standard chemotherapy with Herceptin for women with early stage HER2 breast cancer reduces the recurrence of the disease by 46 per cent. This finding is based on one of the biggest studies ever conducted in this field, with over 5,000 patients participating in the trial in over 39 countries, including Australia. The President of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia, Dr Stephen Ackland, said that the reduction in the recurrence of breast cancer through this drug is greater than has been found for any treatment in this field for the last 30 years. I agree with both the Cancer Council of Australia and the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia, which said:

Results of international trials of the drug Herceptin provide strong evidence to support a listing under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

There has been a development since I last spoke in the House. On 21 April the Therapeutic Goods Administration announced its decision to approve Herceptin as a treatment for HER2 breast cancer when used as part of a chemotherapy regime but only when treating tumours over 20 millimetres in length. It has to be noted that the TGA process is completely different from the PBS process. It involves clinical issues as opposed to a decision as to whether the government will subsidise the use of Herceptin through the PBS. I am not a doctor and I do not pretend to understand all the clinical issues that the TGA would have gone into, but the decision to limit Herceptin to tumours over 20 millimetres has caused considerable concern and hurt amongst breast cancer sufferers and there is an obligation on the TGA to explain this decision to sufferers of breast cancer.

There is no doubt that this decision would be expensive, but this is what the PBS is for and this is what the Australian people expect. This drug is effective in treating cancer and stops it coming back in many cases. There is overwhelming support in the community for the listing of Herceptin on the PBS. I have received 28,071 signatures on a petition I circulated in my electorate. My honourable friend the Chief Opposition Whip has received 26,000 signatures in his nearby electorate of Chifley, the honourable member for Cunningham has received 28,000 signatures and the honourable member for Holt has received 28,000 signatures. Other members have received very significant feedback. I would like to share with the House, as the honourable member for Holt did, just a couple of the many letters I have received on this issue. The first is from a constituent of mine at Bosley Park. It reads:

Dear Chris

Thank you for the opportunity to have this petition filled.

It is especially pertinent in my workplace as we have a colleague undergoing this treatment. She has had to mortgage her house which is difficult when one is too sick to work.

The following is from another woman who saw my petition but is not from my electorate. She wrote:

Good luck with this petition. I am a breast cancer sufferer who will need herceptin. The cost will probably be close to $80,000.

If there is any news I would love to be contacted.

Letters like this remind us that it is real people who are affected by the decisions we take in this place. Because of the cost of listing Herceptin, this issue will go before federal cabinet. I take this opportunity to call on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee to recommend to the cabinet that this drug be listed on the PBS. I call on the cabinet to approve its listing on the PBS. The Australian people would expect nothing less. They expect us to be supporting women going through this very difficult time. (Time expired)