In Ontario, one more month of your life is not worth $8000 according to our Provincial government.
If you are a patient with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), or brain cancer, and need the life prolonging drug AVASTIN, you will have to pay for it out of your own pocket. If you have colorectal cancer, no need to worry, it will be paid for! If you live in British Columbia, Manitoba or Newfoundland... your life IS worth prolonging by according to their provincial governments.
WHY? In Ontario, the drug program is managed by The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care where in BC it is managed by their Cancer agency. In these other provinces it is covered under the umbrella "Patient Care" rather than "Submitted Evidence and Cost Effectiveness".
For Ontario Colorectal Cancer patients, as of Nov 29, 2009, "Ontario is expanding access to Avastin for colorectal cancer patients who are responding well to treatment." Unfortunately, even if a GBM patient is responding well to Avastin, they have to pay for the treatments on their own. Each treatment costs $6000 - $8000 and is required every 3 weeks.
This is completely unacceptable for people already suffering from such a debilitating disease to now be burdened with how to pay for another month of life... 3 weeks at a time.