Help Nicole receive her cancer treatment!
Donation protected
The Quick Story: (more details below)
Hi friends!
Since my breast cancer diagnosis in January, 2021, I have completed IVF, 8 rounds of chemotherapy, 16 rounds of radiation, a double mastectomy and 6 cycles of oral chemotherapy. Because of the nature of my type of cancer, chances of recurrence are higher than average. A recurrence is when the cancer metastasizes to another part of your body, making it incurable. In order to significantly reduce these chances, a breakthrough medication called Olaparib (trade name Lynparza) has been recommended to me by my oncologist. This medication has been approved for breast cancer in many countries, but not Canada. Currently it has only received approval here for ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancer. This means that it is not covered for breast cancer patients by our healthcare system. The price of this drug is between $5,000 and $10,000/ month for one year, depending on my dose and any future coverage.
It is important that I begin this medication soon, so we have made the decision to not wait any longer for the approval.
We hate that it has come down to this, but we are asking for your help. We hope that the medication will receive its approval during this year, which would relieve us of the monthly cost. But like all approvals, we don't know when that day will be. Should the medication get coverage soon, and I have more donations than needed, I will be delighted to donate the funds or pass on the proceeds to another patient in need.
We appreciate your donation and will provide updates via GoFundMe and my Instagram account @nicmo9brca1.
Thank you,
Nicole, Allan and family
Background info:
On January 8, 2021, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Triple Negative Breast Cancer at 31 years old. I carry the BRCA1 mutation which makes me very high risk to breast cancer and ovarian cancer throughout my lifetime. 0.25% of the population carry this mutation. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for about 10-15% of all breast cancers. There are very few options to prevent recurrence of TNBC because the cancer cells have no hormone receptors and therefore cannot be treated by hormone therapy (medically induced menopause). So after standard cancer treatment, TNBC patients are left with no safety net to prevent a recurrence somewhere else in their body. 40% of TNBC patients will have a recurrence, with the greatest risk within the first 3 years. When cancer spreads (metastasizes) it is incurable and classified as stage 4.
Olaparib (Lynparza):
Within the last several years, AstraZeneca has developed a PARP-Inhibitor called OLAPARIB (trade name Lynparza), a targeted therapy treatment which acts against cancers in people with BRCA1/2 mutations. This is a breakthrough for patients with TNBC. More information on the success of this drug: https://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/lynparza-offers-benefits-for-early-stage-her2-negative-breast-cancer-with-brca-mutation
The Challenge:
As Lynparza gains approval for BRCA1/2 cancers around the world, Canada is once again behind in providing Canadian cancer patients with their lifesaving treatment. Currently Lynparza is only approved for ovarian, pancreatic and prostate cancer in Canada, and not approved for breast cancer (despite the many success stories). This means that the drug would not be covered by our Healthcare system and would cost me between $5,000 and $10,000/ month for one year.
Our Efforts:
- We reached out to all levels of the government (our MLA, Alberta Health Services, and Health Canada) to gain their attention for this much needed approval. We receive cryptic and complicated responses (if we even receive a response).
- We have reached out to several contacts at AstraZeneca requesting compassionate care (either a small amount of free treatment, or a discount on the treatment). This process has taken months of back-and-forth communication. I have been denied any exceptions for access to treatment. There are no active clinical trials for me to participate in. I have also been denied their bare minimum compassionate care of a 20% discount because Lynparza no longer falls under the list of drugs in their compassionate program.
- We have been denied coverage through my work benefits program twice and are in the process appealing the denial.
- We have reached out to patient advocacy groups, the Canadian Cancer Society, Alberta Cancer Care, and other groups for advice, assistance and awareness. We have received no helpful information.
**Edit**
After a 5 month battle, we have been granted an exception by our benefits program for coverage for Lynparza. According to my oncologist, I am the only person in Canada that he is aware of to receive coverage for this treatment. I am hoping that with the conversations had through this battle, AstraZeneca and Health Canada will recognize the urgency for approval and more women will be given access in Canada.
We will be keeping a small portion of the funds raised and putting it towards cancer related expenses that we have endured since my diagnosis. As mentioned above, we will be donating the rest to Canadian cancer patients who are currently paying out of pocket for their treatment. We are working with my oncology team to identify these patients and the funds will be donated directly to them over the next several months.
Organizer
Nicole Weller
Organizer
Calgary, AB