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DAVID UNWIN / STUFF
Julie Bunnell, a woman from Palmerston North, is diagnosed with breast cancer. She is one of many women to apply for funding a drug Ibrance.
Women struggling to raise money for breakthrough breast cancer drugs know that some might take too much.
Palmerston North's wife, Julie Bunnell, is one of many who marched in front of Parliament Tuesday to present a petition calling for Pharmac's funding of Ibrance and Kadcyla drugs – advanced breast cancer treatments.
The 63-year-old woman has breast cancer and said she is one of the lucky ones to be able to finance Ibrance herself, which costs about $ 5,800 a month. Kadcyla costs around $ 9,000 every three weeks.
It is feared that even if the drugs are funded, it may be too late for some women already suffering from breast cancer before a decision is made.
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"I think that when they make a decision, it will not change anything for me because nothing works forever."
Bunnell said their visit to Parliament was welcomed and that the women now hoped the government would listen quickly.
"It will not make a difference for me, it will make a difference for many other people and I am aware that some people can not self finance.
"It's just not possible if you're young and have a family or a mortgage, these are tough decisions, how do you balance that money?"
MURRAY WILSON / STUFF
The women of Manawatū were part of the group that marched in front of Parliament this week demanding that breast cancer drugs be funded.
Medications are not meant to prolong survival, but they improve the quality of life.
Many women with breast cancer want them to be funded by the government and Bunnell said that Pharmac has not kept pace with the development of new drugs.
"It is true that many of these drugs are expensive, but it is the realistic cost of hospital treatment and it could be a good investment."
Director of Pharmaceutical Operations, Lisa Williams, said that the government's wholesale buyer had received a funding application for Ibrance earlier this year and that he would seek expert clinical advice.
Bunnell was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer six years ago and responded to some treatments.
She retired three years ago, having worked for 25 years at Massey University as a psychologist, and then in administration in the Vice Chancellor's office.
"I used my savings, I am lucky because I am already retired, I have had a good job and I have saved for retirement."
"I probably will not be able to use these retirement savings – I'm using some of it now to fund the drug, which is a reasonable thing to do."
"If I turn 90 and I run out of money, it will be a good problem."
She said the diagnosis was scary because some people were living a long time, others not.
"It's lucky, it's not good management, there are people who are not so lucky and there is a huge element of luck rather than what we do."
"You could respond to medication and someone else will not do it.You could have an aggressive form of cancer, but someone else will not do it.
Bunnell did not undergo chemotherapy, but she took three hormonal treatments.
According to her, Ibrance is a first-line treatment in many developed countries, with which New Zealand likes to compare itself.
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