Call for cancer pill subsidy

For nearly two years Jane Bissell struggled to get out of bed in the morning.

Gripped by terrible headaches and fatigue, the Whangaparaoa woman thought it was the after-effects of chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer.

Diagnosed with the disease in October 2001, she had a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and was taking a drug called Tamoxifen to reduce the chances of the cancer returning or spreading.

But she couldn't sleep, she found it difficult to concentrate at work and started to get depressed.

"Life just became not worth living in a sense. I thought, I have struggled through all this cancer but these treatments are going to kill me."

Six months ago, she started taking an alternative to Tamoxifen called Arimidex and within months her life was turned around.

The dramatic change has prompted the 48-year-old to join calls by New Zealand breast cancer experts for the Government to follow Australia's example and fully fund Arimidex, which has been found to reduce the recurrence of the disease and produce fewer side effects.

Results of a just-released five-year clinical trial, following 9366 women, show Arimidex reduced the chances of breast cancer by a further 26 per cent - above the 50 per cent reduction offered by Tamoxifen.

The trial, funded by AstraZeneca which produces Arimidex, found 236 women died of breast cancer while taking Arimidex. This compares with 265 deaths among women taking Tamoxifen.

During that time, the cancer returned 402 times in women taking Arimidex and 498 times in those taking Tamoxifen.

Breast surgeon Belinda Scott, medical chairwoman of the Breast Cancer Foundation, said the results confirmed the need for Pharmac to fund Arimidex for early breast cancer.

"Overseas they are using it as a first line treatment. In New Zealand, we can't even use it as second line. When are we going to catch up?"

More than 2000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in New Zealand each year and 600 die from it.

Arimidex is funded for treating advanced cancer but only partially funded for patients with early breast cancer. Patients must pay about $120 a month for the drug. Australia expanded access to the drug from December 1.

Dr Scott said the evidence showed Tamoxifen was no longer the optimal treatment choice for early cancer.

Pharmac medical director Peter Moodie said the agency was "actively pursuing" a listing for an early breast cancer treatment for patients who could not tolerate Tamoxifen.

From January 1, another aromatase inhibitor, letrozole (Femara), would be fully funded as an alternative first-line treatment for advanced breast cancer. (Aromatase inhibitors reduce the oestrogen that fuels cancer).

Dr Moodie said the next step was an alternative early breast cancer treatment. He did not know how soon a decision would be made.

For Ms Bissell, who works part-time for the New Zealand Writers Guild in Ponsonby, changing to Arimidex was like "night and day".

"I felt a whole lot better. I was able to get into work on time. Before my brain wouldn't work ... I felt like life was back on track."

Finding the $120 she needs each month to pay for the treatment has not always been easy and her parents have helped out, but she said going back on Tamoxifen was not an option. "It made me feel suicidal."

Ms Bissell has since written a book about her experiences, Welcome to the Amazon Club.