Let's beat cancer with immunotherapy!

Below are some words from our friend, the incomparable Soledad Ronco. She is relentlessly helpful, outgoing and positive and is a friend to so many and a mother to two wonderful children. Please consider helping in any way that you can.

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Thanks so much for checking in! I'm not sure what I can tell you, so I'll just summarize.

I was 38 years old when I was diagnosed in early 2021, a single mother with then two- and four-year old children. I am a water resource engineer, and was happily and productively working for the public service. I have been on Long Term Disability, financed by Canada Life, since May 2022. I would love to go back to work, and get my life back. I can't do that if the cancer comes back. My chances of continued survival are better if I remain on immunotherapy. Not to mention that my children need a mother. They are the reason I am still here.

I spent the seven months following my diagnosis in weekly chemotherapy, along with being part of a trail program for a drug called Keytruda, which is so new it wasn't then yet approved for breast cancer treatment.

I responded to chemotherapy and immunotherapy well outside the expected range; I was NED (No Evidence of Disease) after two months, in April 2022. After ten months, a metastatic brain tumour was accidentally discovered in the lower part of my brain, that incidentally fell within my routine PET scan's range - a scan that does not cover my head (despite that my cancer has a 20% chance of resulting in brain metastases!?!). Subsequent MRIs showed the presence of 4 tumours, which were treated with radiation. I have been once again NED since April 2023.

I would desperately like to stay this way. I'm waiting on a request for an appeal within Canada Life. My time is running out, last treatment is next week, August 15, then it's sink or swim time. Treatment is approximately $10,000 every six weeks.

I applied for coverage from my extended health, because that seems to be the most straightforward solution. My request for coverage of Keytruda was denied.

The Medical Service Plan (MSP) coverage lasts for 2 years - no Canadian needs coverage within those two years, it is covered by MSP. I have now exhausted that marker. My oncologist is Stephen Chia, Head of Department of Clinical Research and Distinguished Scientist, BC Cancer and BC Cancer Research Institute. He is the leading expert in triple negative breast cancer, which is the cancer I was diagnosed with. It is Dr Chia's opinion that I should continue on the immunotherapy, Keytruda. Dr Chia is not explicit or clear about much, preferring to couch his advice in probabilities and statistics. This is the first and only time in almost 3 years that I have had a clear affirmative from him.

My understanding is the federal protocol covers two years, because there have not been enough studies published, specifically relating to breast cancer, specifically, triple negative. There have not been enough studies published because there have not been enough survivors.

I am one of those people.

I am in the midst of compiling the medical letters to write to the Minister of Health; I will also be contacting my MLA. Getting letters from my oncologist is tough, because in order to contact him I have to deliver a hand written letter to a clerk who passes it onto his secretary where it may or may not be read/passed on; and if it is passed on, it has lain unread on his desk past any deadlines I may have been trying to meet with my insurance provider. He is a busy man, and there are many gatekeepers to pass. Fortunately I have been able to navigate this, for the most part, living close to BC Cancer helps. The system dismissed my found lump as "a breastfeeding thing," and it was only my mother calling on a friend that got me diagnosed - by then, stage 4: metastatic cancer, spread through my lymph system and my lungs.

The Cancer Agency is under resourced and poorly run. I could write a novel about the ways. They are providing what amazing care they can, but are hamstrung by beurocacy and underresourcing.

I have contacted Merck, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures Keytruda, but while they would fund me before the government approved the drug, I no longer fall into any program parameters that have. I am contemplating importing the drug from India. If you have any other ideas of how to fund this, I would appreciate it. Additionally, if the funding proves to be unnecessary, the money raised will go into trust for my children.