Bowel Cancer Australia has welcomed the listing of Avastin (a cancer drug which works to reduce, and potentially stop, the growth of new blood vessels to a tumor) on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. The PBS listing is set to benefit around 1,710 additional people every year.
Julien Wiggins, CEO of Bowel Cancer Australia said “We are very pleased that the PBS has approved Avastin. People with advanced bowel cancer and their families will no longer be faced with the decision of whether to place themselves or their families in debt to fund treatment, or to decline treatment.”
Our charity receives requests from families, friends and communities regarding fundraising events in support of the cost of a patient’s treatment.
At $55, 000 per annum, however, the cost remained prohibitive for many. Through the listing, new sufferers will pay around $33 for each treatment.
Mr Wiggins added that “prolonging quality life enables people with advanced bowel cancer to normalise their lives in many ways. They can return to work, continue to support their family, and spend precious time with loved ones at a point in their lives when every day counts. The listing of Avastin offers renewed hope to Australians with advanced bowel cancer and their families.”
Improving the lives of patients with bowel cancer through recognition of the value of prolonged, quality life is one of the aims of the Bowel Caner 2012 Challenge presented to Government on 7 May 2009.
