Herceptin (From Penarth Times)

Herceptin

I AM compelled to respond to the letter by Mr Robin Williams in the previous edition of the Penarth Times (February 16).

Mr Williams has sorely missed the point.

Herceptin is already prescribed for cancer that has spread and is terminal. It gives women and men affected by the HER2 gene some additional reprieve.

The efficacy of prescribing it in the early stages is based on the fact that when given in tandem with chemotherapy, the chances of survival are considerably heightened.

It is transparently clear that if it is already given in secondary cancer it could more advantageously be given earlier.

Mr Williams raised the issue of funding. I have worked all my life and my taxes and national insurance have been taken from my salary without my consultation - and now I am told it is sufficient to fund this same treatment if I have terminal cancer but not until then.

This beggars belief.

I am fully aware of the enormous costs of cardiovascular care, but the majority of it is self-inflicted from smoking, inactivity and poor diet, as firmly stated by the World Health Organisation in many recent reports that can be accessed for scrutiny.

As for the motives of Jayne Sullivan, her point was to highlight the unfairness of a system that lets women and men with HER2 positive breast cancer develop terminal illness before they can be treated with Herceptin.

I have been tackled about the fact that I have the advantage of an education and a forceful personality to make my pitch for Herceptin, but this is a typical patriarchal attitude where women are supposed to be meek and self-effacing.

It is superficial as an argument because most people these days have the benefit of immediate access to information and the freedom to protest.

Those people who are elderly and have learning difficulties are not exempt from this battle for Herceptin, they too get breast cancer.

The final hole in the colander of Mr Williams" argument lies in the fact that he uses television programmes to substantiate his point of view.

He should learn how to read and analyse the scientific literature before wasting time on fruitless arguments that are misleading and biased.

Ceinwen Jackson MA

Senior Lecture in Health Issues

Cardiac Rehabilitation Practitioner

Cancer patient