B is for Breast Cancer by Christine Hamill

Author:Christine Hamill [HAMILL, CHRISTINE]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Published: 2014-03-05T16:00:00+00:00

H is for Herceptin

I did not need the breast cancer drug Herceptin, but I feel I have to mention it because it has been so widely reported in the media that it is practically a household name. Even those who know next to nothing of cancer have heard of Herceptin. This is due to the high-profile case of Ann Marie Rogers who successfully took her health authority to court in 2006 for denying her access to the drug on financial grounds. As a result of her efforts the drug was funded for widespread use on the NHS and all newly diagnosed women are now routinely tested to see if the drug is appropriate for them. So if you are getting Herceptin, it seems it is largely down to one woman’s efforts. What an achievement. That woman certainly had something to be proud of.

On day one, the breast care nurse told me that I would have a Herceptin profile done and I eagerly awaited its outcome, Herceptin being generally regarded by lay people as a wonder drug which I therefore, of course, wanted. I didn’t get it and wondered why. I kept on asking about it, but each time was told the results weren’t back yet. Eventually, I discovered that I had tested HER2 negative. Herceptin would have been useless as it works by targeting the HER2 protein that fuels some cancers. And in any case, it is usually given alongside chemotherapy.

It took a long time for me to find out all this, and all the while I was thinking they’d forgotten about me or that legislation concerning the drug had not yet reached my health authority. In fact, I think they weren’t telling me about it because I wasn’t going to need it. That seems fair enough; these doctors are under pressure and barely have time to talk about the treatments you are having, never mind those you are not. So I think if you want to know about all the types of treatment available (and not available) to you, you will have to ask. Time is tight; they won’t volunteer the information.

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