Government’s silence on Senate report leaves cancer patients in limbo

Pharma News: NeuroEndocrine Cancer Australia has urged the government to respond to the Senate report on equitable access to diagnosis and treatment for rare and less common cancers.

Despite the Senate Inquiry releasing 41 recommendations in May 2024, there has been no formal reply from the Federal Health Minister.

“Patients are STILL waiting for a response from the Australian Government. It’s time to prioritise rare and less common cancers like Neuroendocrine Cancer. Mark Butler MP, we need action now—patients deserve to be treated fairly and equitably,” the patient advocacy group stated on social media.

In a recent interview with Health Industry Hub, Christine Cockburn, CEO of Rare Cancers Australia, highlighted the importance of these recommendations.

“The recommendations on access to medicines in the Senate report is very important as it is not acknowledged in other larger policy pieces, like the Australian Cancer Plan. One of the other things we were really pleased to see was the recommendation for a complete ban on discrimination against people based on their genomic data.”

Cockburn emphasised the need for continued pressure to ensure the recommendations are implemented. “It behoves us to keep our foot on the pedal and make sure that it’s responded to and implemented,” she stressed.

Drawing on global examples, Cockburn urged stakeholders to consider best practices from countries like the Netherlands, the US, and Canada.

“This inquiry and the resulting recommendations demonstrate a commitment and consensus across multi-sector stakeholders acknowledging that those diagnosed with rare and less common cancers face significant inequity in experience and outcomes,” she added.

The ongoing lack of response from the government is a growing concern among advocacy groups, as patients continue to face delays in equitable treatment access.

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