In addition to Mother's Day, the 8th of next month is also World Ovarian Cancer Day.
The Hong Kong Medical Care Alliance and the Ovarian Cancer Care Group announced the results of a survey today (26th), which found that nearly 50% of the women with ovarian cancer interviewed had relapsed, and 70% of them considered giving up treatment because of expensive drugs.
To increase patients' hope and confidence in treatment, the organization urges the government to subsidize dartboard drugs for patients to receive maintenance therapy to reduce the burden on patients.
The mortality rate is the first 85% of gynecological cancer patients who have relapsed
Ovarian cancer ranks the sixth most common cancer among women in Hong Kong, and the mortality rate is the first among gynecological cancers.
According to the data, the median age of death is the youngest among all women with cancer, only 62 years old. In addition, the recurrence rate is high and the symptoms are not obvious. Eighty-five percent of patients will experience recurrence after treatment, making treatment more difficult.
Dr. Xie Jiayu, a specialist in gynecological oncology, said that ovarian cancer is known as the "silent killer" because the ovaries are located in the pelvis and cannot be directly observed. In addition, the early symptoms are not obvious, including abdominal distension, abdominal discomfort and frequent urination, etc. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, which increases the difficulty of treatment.
Although surgery and chemotherapy are the main treatment methods for ovarian cancer, ovarian cancer is prone to recurrence, so maintenance treatment is required after surgery to delay recurrence.
Xie Jiayu said that the traditional target drug angiogenesis inhibitors need to be injected intravenously, which can cause discomfort, and now there is another type of dart target drug PARP protein inhibitor, because it is taken orally, patients can take it at home, which is more convenient.
However, at present, maintenance therapy drugs are self-paying drugs, which cost about 30,000 to 50,000 yuan per month. The expensive medical expenses deter many patients.
About 70% of adults consider giving up treatment because of expensive drugs
Huang Miner, a registered social worker and representative of the Ovarian Cancer Care Group of the Hong Kong Medical Care Alliance, said that 21 people with ovarian cancer were invited for telephone interviews earlier. Among them, 67% had stage III to IV ovarian cancer, and 55% had recurrence. , one of the respondents relapsed three times.
She said that due to the high cost of related drugs, 95% of patients expressed concern that they would not have enough money to pay for the drugs, and about 70% of the patients said they might consider giving up treatment because of their own drug expenses.
Huang Miner believes that most patients do not have a fixed income. Even if they are funded by community pharmacies or charitable funds, there are still quotas, and they have to pass the means test. Medications for cancer patients, for example, from the Samaritan Fund or the Community Care Fund for patients in financial need.
She urged the government to include effective and internationally recognized maintenance therapy dartboard drugs into the drug list as soon as possible to relieve the psychological and financial pressure of patients.
Two years of medical expenses reached 500,000, some patients have thought about borrowing money to buy medicine
Ms. Lai, 39, was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer in 2016. She said that at first, she only felt stomach discomfort and weight loss. Later, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which had spread to the abdominal cavity and the periphery of the lungs.
She recalled feeling very hesitant at the time, and her family was also very heartbroken and uncomfortable. She was most afraid that she would not have time to spend with her husband and three-year-old daughter. Fortunately, she basically recovered after completing all operations and chemotherapy in April 2017.
However, she pointed out that the cancer recurred after about a year and a half. At that time, the doctor told her that there was an oral dartboard drug, which could reduce the risk of recurrence, but the drug cost for two years was 500,000 yuan.
I once thought of borrowing money to buy medicine, but I didn't want to increase the financial pressure on my family. Fortunately, I got the support from a charity fund. I have been taking medicine for almost three years, and my condition is well controlled.
She believes that the dartboard drug can help control the disease, and hopes that the government can incorporate the drug into the safety net to help other people in need.
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