Lung cancer patients of the "small cell" type, typical of ex-smokers, claim that they are being discriminated against for the third year because treatments for their disease receive a low rating and therefore will not enter the drug basket this year as well.
Currently, the main treatment available in the basket for these patients is chemotherapy.
For some time now, they have been turning to the basket committee and asking to reconsider introducing advanced immunotherapy treatments for them - treatments that mobilize the patients' immune system to fight the tumor.
Cancer treatment.
Illustration, photo: Yossi Zeliger
Lung cancer is considered the deadliest in Israel and one of the most common.
Every year, about 2,600 Israelis are diagnosed with the disease.
20% of them (more than 500 patients) have "small cell" cancer (SCLC), which is considered particularly aggressive and violent.
This year, three treatments for these patients were submitted for rating by the basket committee.
All three were rated low.
These are Impinzi and Tesentric treatments, which are intended for patients in the first stage, as well as a drug called Zapzelka, which is intended for the treatment of metastatic lung cancer as an advanced line of treatment.
Donate treatments
Anat Dasberg (60), divorced and mother of two from Yehud, is dealing with this type of lung cancer.
"The disease was discovered in me nine months ago after I suffered from chest pains. I was sure that the pain was from the heart, because I had a heart attack in the past," she says.
Anat came to the ER with pain but was discharged without a diagnosis.
"I got to the point where I had crazy pains, which kept spreading to my face, eyes and ears. I could hardly speak. My voice kept disappearing."
Desberg.
"Waiting for the treatment to respond", photo: None
After extensive tests, she was diagnosed with metastatic "small cell" type lung cancer.
"By the time I got to the specialist doctors, the tumor had spread," she says.
"A huge tumor paralyzed my vocal cords and I couldn't drive. The cancer metastasized and they could no longer operate. At first the body responded well to the chemotherapy, but after a while the cancer came back. This is a very deceptive disease."
Anat needed immunotherapy treatment.
"The 'Line for Life' association agreed to donate four such treatments to me. Now I am waiting to see if the tumor responds to the medicine. All my life I have been a good and law-abiding citizen who contributed to the country. The approval of the medicine is my last chance to live."
"Sword on my world"
Another patient who lived for more than a year thanks to the immunotherapy treatment is Rahim David (72) from Carmel, father of four.
In January of last year he was diagnosed with "small cell" lung cancer.
"My wife pressured me to get tested because I was coughing a lot - especially at night," David recalls, "the doctor sent me for a CT scan and blood tests, they also did a biopsy, and when the results came, my world was shattered."
It doesn't make sense for the state to abandon me like this." David Rahamim,
After six cycles of chemotherapy and MRI tests, the doctors realized that the disease had metastasized to the brain.
Rahamim asked to be treated with an immunotherapy drug, but at the hospital he was told that the treatments are not included in the health package.
Fortunately, after contacting the "Friends of Medicine" association, treatments were approved for Rahim.
In the tests he did, it became clear that the treatment dramatically improves his condition.
"Rhamim is back to functioning," says his wife, "he doesn't look sick. It really saved him - and can save many more patients."
Despite his repeated appeals to the basket committee, it was decided not to make the treatments available to the public.
"I served in the army, I received the decoration of valor in the war of attrition - it doesn't make sense that the state abandons me like this," he says.
The discussions continue
Dr. Shani Sheila, CEO and founder of the Israeli Lung Cancer Association: "This is a particularly aggressive disease with a limited supply of treatments.
Immunotherapy treatments have been shown to be effective for some patients in a way that has not yet been seen.
There are quite a few patients who have succeeded through compassionate treatments and private insurance to get the medicine, and their quality of life is good over time.
For most patients, the treatments are not accessible, and as a result their survival is lower."
The desire and desire of all of us: to include as many technologies as possible for the benefit of the public in Israel." Dr. Shiloh, photo: Liron Moldovan
The response of the Medicines Basket Committee: "More than 950 technologies have been submitted to the basket, including preparations for the treatment of cancer of all types. The committee has not yet finished the discussion phase and they continue even more intensively. The wish and desire of all of us: to include as many technologies as possible for the benefit of the public in Israel."
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