Huron Expositor, 2005-11-23, Page 20News
The Huron Expositor • November 23, 2005 Page 20
Myeloma patients fight for access to new drug
Cheryl Heath
iliCUMEMEM
Multiple myeloma statisti-
cally strikes four in 100,000
people.
But, there are currently at
least 10 people grappling
with the fatal form of can-
cer, which attacks the
blood's plasma cells, in a
county with a population of
60,000.
A number of those facing
the disease can benefit from
Velcade but theroblem is
the drug costs $40,000 a
year and the province has
yet to give the green light
for its usage.
Velcade is, however, avail-
able for use at a private
clinic in Toronto.
It is precisely this Catch-
22 that has inspired a group
of multiple myeloma suffer-
ers in Huron County to lead
the charge against the bar-
rier.
The group, led by Bruce
Coleman of Exeter,
approached Huron -Bruce
MPP Carol Mitchell with
the petition signed by 2,779
county residents recently at
her Clinton constituency
office.
Coleman, who once oper-
ated a Seaforth-area farm,
first learned of the disease
four years ago when he went
to see a doctor about back
muscle spasms.
Blood tests revealed the
diagnosis and since then, he
has been on stem cell trans-
plant treatments.
A second form of treat-
ment that sometimes proves
helpful is thalidomide, a
drug that became infamous
in the 1960s after a number
of pregnant women gave
birth to physically and men-
tally challenged children.
Now, there is a new drug
on the market, Velcade,
which is proving effective in
the battle with myeloma.
And though the drug is
proved by both the Food and
Drug Administration in the
United States and Health
Canada, the provincial gov-
ernment is delaying its
approval pending further
studies.
This means that in
Ontario the drug is avail-
able only to those who uti-
lize a private cancer clinic in
Toronto or if the patient is
under the care at one of the
few hospitals willing to risk
taking the cost out of their
own budget in the hopes of
one day being reimbursed.
Among the group at
Mitchell's office was Jim
Barnes, a former Central
Huron Secondary School
teacher who is now retired
and lives on a Belgrave-area
farm.
Barnes was first diag-
nosed with the disease six
years ago after once again
being turned away from a
blood donor clinic.
He was advised to see a
general practitioner and fur-
ther tests revealed multiple
myeloma. It was then
Barnes learned of the
unwelcome prognosis of . one
year to live.
•
Barnes retired from teach-
ing and began stem cell
transplant. He is now anx-
ious to begin using Velcade.
"For over six months, we
myeloma patients have been
trying to persuade the gov-
ernment to provide access to
this drug and while we have
been writing letters and
meeting with our MPPs,
we've been watching our fel-
low patients relapse and
sometimes die while waiting
for access to this drug," he
says.
"This is particularly rele-
vant to this area because
though this drug has a theo-
retical incidence of four per
100,000, it seems to be par-
ticularly common in Huron
County. I have no way of
gathering information in
any comprehensive or offi-
cial way, but I can name 10
people in our area who cur-
rently have this cancer."
And, he says, "I don't see
how our public health-care
system can allow those who
can afford it to receive this
potentially lifesaving treat-
ment while denying it to
others."
Barnes, who is currently
in remission, says some of
the complications from
myeloma include bones that
suddenly break.
Indeed, Barnes has suf-
fered with the pain of verte-
brae that have spontaneous-
ly fractured.
The cancer is believed to
be caused by exposure to
chemicals, like gasoline and
chemicals used on farms.
Huron -Bruce's MPP is
pledging to present the peti-
tion at Queen's Park at the
next possible opportunity.
She also promises to send a
copy of the Hansard to the
group.
The group's No. 1 goal,
says Coleman, is to raise
awareness of the "two class-
es of cancer patients," name-
ly one for the public and a
more accessible one for
those who can afford to use
a private clinic.
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