CANADIAN BREAST CANCER NETWORK APPLAUDS NOVA SCOTIA FOR FUNDING NEW BREAST
CANCER TREATMENT
Women with HER2 positive breast cancer now have access to TYKERB, the first new treatment in a decade
OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 2 /CNW/ - Every woman in Nova Scotia living with HER2 positive breast cancer now has access to a new treatment option as the province has granted funding for Tykerb™ (lapatinib ditosylate) for the treatment of advanced or metastatic breast cancer in women whose tumours over-express HER2 (ErbB2) and who have progressed following previous therapies.
Health Canada approved Tykerb™ in combination with an oral chemotherapy, capecitabine (Xeloda®), back in May 2009, but the province's recent decision to fund the treatment means all patients with HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer now have the chance to continue fighting their disease, and to potentially live longer, without the financial burden that can sometimes accompany novel treatments prior to them being reimbursed by provincial drug plans.
"The Nova Scotia government is to be applauded for adding Tykerb™ to their formulary," says Cathy Ammendolea, President of the Canadian Breast Cancer Network (CBCN) and a breast cancer survivor. "This decision is an important advance, as it paves the way for new drug treatments to be accessible to metastatic breast cancer patients who do not have any other option for survival."
"Affordable access to treatment is paramount for effective patient care and Nova Scotia has demonstrated that this is a priority," says Diane Spencer, breast cancer survivor and the Nova Scotia board member of the Canadian Breast Cancer Network. "This decision gives us hope that other provinces will soon follow suit so all women fighting HER2 positive breast cancer across the country can benefit from this treatment and hopefully spend more precious time with their loved ones."
Prior to the approval of Tykerb™, trastuzumab (Herceptin®) was the only approved therapy in Canada targeted to treat HER2 positive breast cancer. With Tykerb™, women with advanced or metastatic HER2 positive breast cancer, previously treated with other therapies, now have another effective option in the fight to control their disease.
About Breast Cancer in Canada
- In 2010, an estimated 23,200 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.1
- For Canadian women, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality.2
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer and cause of cancer death in women aged 20 - 59, accounting for 37 per cent of new cases and 22 per cent of deaths.3
- One in nine women is expected to develop breast cancer during her lifetime. One in 28 will die of it.4
About HER2 Positive Breast Cancer
HER2 (otherwise known as ErbB2) positive breast cancer is an aggressive form of cancer that hits women in their prime. Approximately 20 per cent of women with breast cancer overexpress the HER2 (ErbB2) protein.5 Since it is a particularly aggressive form of cancer, women with HER2 (ErbB2) positive breast cancer are at a greater risk of disease progression and death compared to women with breast cancer tumors that do not overexpress HER2 (ErbB2).6 The five-year relative survival rate is significantly lower among women with a more advanced stage (stage III or IV) of cancer at diagnosis at 59% and 26% respectively.7
About The Canadian Breast Cancer Network
The Canadian Breast Cancer Network (CBCN) is the only national survivor-driven and survivor-focused breast cancer organization in Canada. CBCN works to focus national attention on breast cancer and ensure that issues faced by those affected are addressed by decision makers in research and health care policy. CBCN has been the leading advocate for economic issues resulting from a breast cancer diagnosis, while promoting the improvement of services and access to optimal care for all breast cancer patients.
This release was made possible through an educational grant from GlaxoSmithKline Inc.
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1 Canadian Cancer Society's Steering Committee: Canadian Cancer Statistics 2010. Toronto: Canadian Cancer Society, 2010.
2 Canadian Cancer Society's Steering Committee: Canadian Cancer Statistics 2010. Toronto: Canadian Cancer Society, 2010.
3 Canadian Cancer Society's Steering Committee: Canadian Cancer Statistics 2010. Toronto: Canadian Cancer Society, 2010.
4 Canadian Cancer Society's Steering Committee: Canadian Cancer Statistics 2010. Toronto: Canadian Cancer Society, 2010.
5 Ross JS, Slodkowska EA, Symmans WF, et al. The HER-2 receptor and breast cancer : ten years of targeted anti-HER-2 therapy and personalized medicine. The Oncologist 2009;14:320-368.
6 Slamon DJ, Clark GM, Wong SG, Levin WJ, Ullrich A, McGuire WL. Human breast cancer: correlation of relapse and survival with amplification of the HER-2/neu oncogene. Science 1987:235:177-87.
7 Canadian Cancer Statistics 2007. Canadian Cancer Society. Page 84.
For further information:
Kate Carroll
Environics Communications
416-969-2732
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