Significant Prostate Cancer Treatment Becomes More Affordable for Australian Men
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men worldwide, and in Australia, it is the most diagnosed cancer and the second most deadly. The good news is that a significant prostate cancer treatment is about to become more affordable for men across the country. Men living with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer will be able to access Erlyand (apalutamide) on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from June, which currently costs patients about $40,000 a year.
Metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer is a type of prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and is still responding to hormone therapy. This specific cancer affects about 3,000 Australian men, and apalutamide has proven to boost survival rates. Currently, two in three men with stage four prostate cancer in Australia do not survive.
Graham Oldfield, a man living with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, said a swollen lymph node was the only warning sign of his cancer. When he underwent a biopsy, he found out that one half of his prostate was destroyed by cancer, and it had also spread through his body via his lymphatic system. It is in his spine and lung. Oldfield said apalutamide worked better and had fewer side effects than the other drugs he was taking. However, his treatment costs about $40,000 per year.
Professor Anthony Joshua at St Vincent’s Hospital said prostate cancer uses testosterone to fuel its growth, which is why men are given hormone injections. “Then the cancer realizes there is no testosterone around anymore, and it starts to make its testosterone, and that’s what these drugs are very good at blocking,” Joshua said. “These class of drugs are very effective in helping men live longer and live better.”
The PBS will reduce the cost of the drugs to $30 per script, or about $7.30 for pension cardholders. Federal health minister Mark Butler said the PBS listing would make a dramatic change for men and prostate cancer sufferers. “It is a treatment that can be taken at home without attending a hospital or other medical facility,” Butler said.
This is the first drug of its kind to be listed on the PBS for men with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. Last year, it was subsidized for those with earlier stage disease. The listing of apalutamide on the PBS will make it more accessible for men living with prostate cancer and will reduce their financial burden.
In conclusion, prostate cancer is a serious issue that affects many men in Australia and worldwide. The availability of apalutamide on the PBS will provide a significant boost to men living with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer. It will also help reduce their financial burden, making it more accessible to those who need it. It is a step in the right direction and a much-needed relief for men dealing with this condition.
- Hormone therapy for prostate cancer
- Radiation therapy for prostate cancer
- Chemotherapy for advanced prostate cancer
- Immunotherapy for prostate cancer
- Brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer
News Source : Lucy Slade
Source Link :Prostate cancer treatment worth $40,000 a year to be listed on PBS/