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jjfromcanada · 02-13-2006, 10:15 AM

I am having Herceptin at a private clinic, Provis, in Toronto. OHIP will not pay for it since I am beyond the timeframe approved by Cancer Care Ontario for adjuvant treatment (7 months, I believe is their cut off) and so far, fortunately, have not developed any known mets.

The way it works is your own oncologist must write the prescription and then the clinic infuses it. They operate in the evenings and there is an oncologist there at all times. It is staffed by oncology nurses from local hospitals.

OHIP does pay for my MUGA scans though.

I think the idea of fund raising for treatment is a wonderful idea, but wonder why Roche Canada is not stepping up to the plate to fund treatment as Genentech does in the US.

Why spend all this money developing drugs that work if the solution is too costly to benefit the patients? I would like to see some of the funding for research redirected to treatment. I want to see that money out of the laboratory and available at the clinical level.

With regards to the US, when I was seeking Herceptin last summer, I got turned down by two cancer clinics there because I did not meet the timeframes for adjuvant treatment issued by NIH. I was surprised since I thought you could get anything there as long as you could pay for it. Not quite everywhere.

Advocacy is an interesting issue because my understanding is that any donations made to advocacy groups are not tax deductible. Thus the Cancer Advocacy Coalition is largely funded by drug companies. They recently issued their annual Report Card on cancer treatment in Canada and took a knock for that funding on the news report. The reporter did not mention this tax issue and with groups like the Canadian Cancer Society able to provide tax receipts, I think that caveat makes a difference where people send their donations.

We already have a two-tiered system here anyway, since some people have a drug plan at work and some don't. What we are really advocating is a three-tier system. I am retired and have a fixed amount from my former employer in a drug plan. They have refused to pay for Herceptin for me also.

I support Provis and would recommend it and other similar clinics to anyone. What we need to do though is find a way to raise funds for people who cannot afford to take advantage of private clinics.

02-13-2006, 10:15 AM	#13
jjfromcanada Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 29	I am having Herceptin at a private clinic, Provis, in Toronto. OHIP will not pay for it since I am beyond the timeframe approved by Cancer Care Ontario for adjuvant treatment (7 months, I believe is their cut off) and so far, fortunately, have not developed any known mets. The way it works is your own oncologist must write the prescription and then the clinic infuses it. They operate in the evenings and there is an oncologist there at all times. It is staffed by oncology nurses from local hospitals. OHIP does pay for my MUGA scans though. I think the idea of fund raising for treatment is a wonderful idea, but wonder why Roche Canada is not stepping up to the plate to fund treatment as Genentech does in the US. Why spend all this money developing drugs that work if the solution is too costly to benefit the patients? I would like to see some of the funding for research redirected to treatment. I want to see that money out of the laboratory and available at the clinical level. With regards to the US, when I was seeking Herceptin last summer, I got turned down by two cancer clinics there because I did not meet the timeframes for adjuvant treatment issued by NIH. I was surprised since I thought you could get anything there as long as you could pay for it. Not quite everywhere. Advocacy is an interesting issue because my understanding is that any donations made to advocacy groups are not tax deductible. Thus the Cancer Advocacy Coalition is largely funded by drug companies. They recently issued their annual Report Card on cancer treatment in Canada and took a knock for that funding on the news report. The reporter did not mention this tax issue and with groups like the Canadian Cancer Society able to provide tax receipts, I think that caveat makes a difference where people send their donations. We already have a two-tiered system here anyway, since some people have a drug plan at work and some don't. What we are really advocating is a three-tier system. I am retired and have a fixed amount from my former employer in a drug plan. They have refused to pay for Herceptin for me also. I support Provis and would recommend it and other similar clinics to anyone. What we need to do though is find a way to raise funds for people who cannot afford to take advantage of private clinics.