Herceptin and breast cancer - Manitoba's NDP are failing women

Earlier this year two large randomized clinical trials were concluded early when it was discovered that patients in the trials who received Herceptin in combination with standard chemotherapy had a 52 percent decrease in disease recurrence compared to patients treated with chemotherapy alone. This is a big difference. The difference is so big that the NDP government in Manitoba should have had no hesitation in moving to provide herceptin for patients in our province. Instead the inaction of the NDP is denying many women in Manitoba the care they should have access to.

There is a cost to providing herception. But there is also a large cost to not providing it. The cost to not providing it includes the costs in lives lost, the cost of the use of less effective therapies (the costs of doctors visits, extra tests, extra treatments when the cancer recurs on treatment without herceptin). The costs of not providing herceptin will all add up to major costs. Too often in the past the NDP actions or inactions have resulted in increased costs down the road because of failure to act quickly then the opportunity arises. When there is a major improvement in care which can benefit many Manitoba women, our health care system should move quickly to provide it. It is all part of the effort we need to make to improve the health of Manitobans. Yesterday, I sent out a press release yesterday which is on our web site - www.manitobaliberals.ca If you would like to help in my efforts to ensure women in Manitoba get good medical care, please email to me at jgerrard@leg.gov.mb.ca