- For a long time there was no drug for triple-negative breast cancer, and as soon as it appeared, we waited for it to be quickly reimbursed. As late as October, we received information that the therapy would be available in Poland,' Krystyna Wechmann, president of the Polish Coalition of Oncology Patients and the Federation of Amazon Associations, said in an interview with Medexpress.
What do the changes in the November reimbursement list mean for breast cancer patients, especially those with the triple-negative subtype of this cancer?
October is breast cancer awareness month. Gaining access to an innovative therapy (talazoparib - ed. note) is very good news for patients with triple-negative breast cancer. We waited a very long time for this therapy, not so much in the reimbursement process, but in the context of scientific advances. For a long time there was no drug and as soon as it appeared, we waited for it to be quickly included in reimbursement. We waited until October to hear that a therapy for triple-negative breast cancer would be available in Poland.
How long did the reimbursement process take?
It is difficult for me to define, because in Poland such a process is, as a rule, a long one. In breast cancer, we have a lot of therapies because it is not a uniform cancer. Its subtypes require different therapies. Therapies are getting better and better, so all that remains is to urge patients to take advantage of prophylaxis to detect cancers at an earlier stage. Early diagnosis and good molecular diagnostics will allow the availability of modern drugs to translate into good treatment. We look forward to better results so that the number of deaths from breast cancer will decrease.
So you could say that patients have a choice, understood on different levels: treatment, doctor or centre?
Yes, and we want the patient to have the option of choosing a good centre, or brest unit, after diagnosis when she finds out she has been diagnosed with cancer. A reputable centre is a guarantee of the right patient pathway and a sense of security. We are waiting for the National Cancer Network to come into force, which will also regulate the issue of reference centres. It is only important that women know that they have this choice.
Source: medexpress.co.uk