Differences in mesothelioma treatment and funding

A report by the Allen Consulting Group has found 35% to 50% of Australian victims of mesothelioma, the fatal asbestos-related cancer, aren’t getting access to critical treatment for their disease, while others are receiving fully subsidised access to the same therapy.

The report found extreme access inequities between mesothelioma patients in different states, among those attending different hospitals, and between those exposed to asbestos via occupational hazard and those who cannot establish how they were exposed.

Cancer physicians and patient advocacy groups nationwide, are calling on the Federal Government to rectify this unfair situation by subsidising access to mesothelioma treatment via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

A full six cycle course of the standard-of-care chemotherapy treatment for mesothelioma is around $20,000 per patient and will on average, extend patients’ lives to over a year from diagnosis, with some living much longer.

Mesothelioma is a fatal cancer which is caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibres. Incidence in Australia is increasing, with the number of mesothelioma patients predicted to peak in 2020 at around 18,000 victims, with over 600 new cases diagnosed every year.