Oncologist looking forward to using breakthrough cancer drug
Source: ABC.net, July 2015
Wodonga based oncologist Doctor Christopher Steer said patients who have advanced melanoma will benefit from the listing of a ‘revolutionary’ new drug on the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
Last month Federal Health Minister and Federal Member for Farrer Sussan Ley announced Keytruda (also known as Pembrolizumab) would be available on the PBS from September 1st.
The inclusion means patients would now only pay about $38 for the drug opposed to $150,000 a year.
Dr Steer who is based at the Murray Valley Private Hospital is currently treating about ten patients from regional Victoria and southern New South Wales for advanced melanoma.
He is looking forward to patients being able to access the drug and agreed it was “revolutionary".
He said research clearly showed the benefits of using the new immune-based therapy drug as opposed to using traditional chemotherapy drugs.
“In clinical trials it has doubled the number of people alive at the end of one year in comparison to those who have been on chemotherapy as a treatment.
“In a clinical trial of patients given the drug the number of patients alive at the end of one year was 70 per cent in comparison with chemotherapy where the number of people you would expect to be alive at one year would be 30 per cent."
Dr Steer said he had some success using the new drug on a patient with non-small-cell lung cancer but it was too early to comment on the benefits.
However he had seen critical improvements from treating a melanoma patient with a “sister" drug he said would “no doubt" have the same effects as Keytruda.
“He had awful pain from the cancer spot eroding into his bones. We started the Nivolumab and within four weeks the pain had gone away and the scans had shown the tumour had shrunk."
Dr Steer said on the treatment his patient had enjoyed an enhanced quality of life, he had got married, continued to work full-time and led an active lifestyle.
“He has come off his morphine-like painkillers and (unlike chemotherapy) has had virtually no side effects from the treatment, so the story is a good one."
Despite the success Dr Steer said it needed to be remembered that the drug’s use was in its early stages and its success rate and side effects would vary from patient to patient.
“There are of course people who do not respond to these agents and further research is needed as to why that is and how we can improve treatment."
Cancer Council Victoria’s information and support line is 13 11 20 (It is a free telephone service staffed by oncologist nurses).
Outside his clinical role Dr Steer is involved in various medical organisations including the Medical Oncology Group of Australia Incorporated, Cancer Drugs Alliance and is President of the Private Cancer Physicians of Australia organisation.
He has been on two funded trips to Sydney to meet with the company representatives of the drug Keytruda to discuss the drug’s research, use and treatment in patients.