[CoolBreeze]

Jocanuck, Perjeta is the ONLY therapy that has kept me stable and stopped liver progression in my long list. (At least, we'll find out at my next scan as I am now having rib pain that I suspect is mets - but as we know, no treatment works forever.)

But would I give up my house for it? No. I am going to die anyway and I know that, and I'm not going to leave my family destitute just staving off the inevitable. But that is a HORRIBLE thing to have to think about.

I can't imagine having to pay 3k a month for a drug, and I wouldn't' be able to do it. In the US, it was just approved for early stage patients too and that means insurance will cover it. Mine is even given off-label (without docetaxol or any chemo) and I've still never had a problem or had to pay anything.

I have three ideas about what I'd do if I was in your place and I'd do #3 first. :

1. Make a stink with the media - a drug that is so effective that it is now used to prevent mets in early stage cancer has just this month been approved in the US and has done remarkable things for metastatic patients - and it's not approved in Ontario? You might be able to play this up in the media. Who knows, maybe through your efforts you might be able to get your government to approve it for everybody. Too bad October is over - the media is always looking for breast cancer stories in October. But Christmas is coming and you can make a story out of it and that's what you have to do to get the medias attention - make it a heart-warming story that everybody can relate to. Do you have kids? "Dying mom denied life-saving drug" is always a good story. One woman here did a YouTube video begging for Perjeta (before it was approved here) and it went viral and she got it. She was on her death bed and now she's doing well. If you want I will see if I can find it.

2. I might try to get a friend to do a "GoFundMe" account and see if you can get donations. If you have somebody who can write a compelling story and have friends who are active on social media who are willing to circulate it, it might help, especially over the holidays. You likely won't get more than a month's worth but you never know what will catch on and hey, it's a month, right? If you could get enough to cover 3 months, that can give you an idea to find out if it's working and what you have to do to continue.

3. You should definitely call Genentech. They can be very generous with what they offer patients and they may be able to provide support, a discount or something like that. http://www.gene.com/patients/patient-access

Sorry you have to fight for something so effective. Maybe you can be the one to change the laws for all in Canada, that would be quite and accomplishment and a great legacy.

Finally, herceptin and abraxane is very effective and if you haven't had progression in a year, you are on a very effective treatment. You don't need to add anything yet until you experience progression, do you? Mostly the way it works here is you are on a treatment and if it works - stable or no progression, you stay on it. Then when you do have progression, you start another treatment. So if you are stable, your meds are working so I think that means you have time to put something in place. Of course, I don't know anything about your condition or treatment, just the few things you posted here, so I apologize if I'm incorrect.

Good luck. I hope something works for you.