Breast cancer patients and recoveries turned to the Medicines Basket Committee, and asked to include a test that might save 2,000 patients a year unnecessary medical treatment, which causes side effects.
This year, many advanced treatments for cancer patients were submitted to the drug basket, which may lead to a full cure even from early stages.
The appeal of the "Pink Coalition" (five associations of women with breast cancer) is intended to emphasize the prevention of unnecessary treatment.
Ora Sher Shalom.
She stopped the treatment, photo: Haim Krasno
The genomic test in question is called BCI, and it is recommended by the American Cancer Society and is intended for about 70% of patients with hormone-dependent breast cancer.
In Israel, about 3,000 patients are diagnosed each year.
After their recovery, the women receive hormonal treatment for ten years in order to prevent the recurrence of the disease, but the treatment has severe side effects during menopause, such as muscle pain, hot flashes, depression, vaginal dryness, osteoporosis and more.
Dr. Amir Sonnenblik, director of the breast cancer unit at the oncology system in Ichilov, says: "There are situations in which it is not clear whether it is worth continuing the treatment.
For a woman without pathological risk factors for the recurrence of the disease, who suffers from side effects or has a significant decrease in bone density - it is worth offering a BCI test, because the treatment may not be necessary for her and the harm outweighs the benefit."
The benefit of the preventive treatment is about 2-5% of the patients - and it is still given to all women.
The BCI test, which is done five years after the treatment, defines who is at risk of the disease returning, and may save approximately 60% of the patients five more years of hormonal treatment.
Amir Sonnenblick.
It is worth offering a test, photo: Haim Krasno
"This is an extremely essential test," explains Tali Rosin, CEO of the "One in Nine" association for those facing and recovering from breast cancer. "The leading bodies in the oncology field recommend it, because it may save five years of overtreatment, which is five years of daily suffering."
Ora Sher Shalom was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 43, underwent a complete mastectomy, decided to remove the uterus and ovaries, and then began hormone therapy.
"I faced severe side effects. I suffered from extreme fatigue, mood swings, inability to anticipate how I would feel in a few hours, menopausal symptoms, migraines," she says.
Sher Shalom did the test, and it became clear that the continuation of the treatment would not be effective for her.
"In consultation with the doctor, we decided to stop. It's been a year and a half since then, and the side effects have stopped. Women should know about the existence of the test, so that they can make decisions each according to her own vision."
Today the test is not part of the medicine basket, it costs NIS 9,900 and is subsidized by supplementary and private insurances.
The Medicine Basket Committee stated: "The members of the committee discuss hundreds of new technologies that have been submitted to the basket. Along with scientific studies and opinions, we also consider requests from patients and non-profit organizations. The wish and desire of all of us is to include as many technologies as possible for the benefit of the public."
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