Joe Tran, a young Chinese, unfortunately suffers from colorectal cancer, because the relevant provisions of the Australian drug welfare program (PBS) stipulate that special drugs for the treatment of the disease require patients to ask for their own pockets. Having spent a lot of money to cure his illness, he lamented that he was now "waiting to die."
Four years ago, 27-year-old Joe was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. To fight the disease, he has paid more than A $80, 000 for a specific drug. To raise treatment costs, the Joe family has even sold computers and cars, and raised some donations, but that's still far from enough.
It is reported that Joe's illness is inherited from the family, his grandfather and uncle died of the cancer, mother also had the same type of cancer. Although he has suffered from stomach pains, he said he never thought he would be told of cancer at the age of 27.
At first, he thought his colon cancer was treatable, but the surgery found that the cancer had spread and quickly entered his liver and gallbladder.
He had received chemotherapy before, but returned the next year, and he had to give up his job at the insurance company for further treatment. At present, the cancer has spread to the bone, and because of the neck tumor, his side of the body has been paralyzed, movement must rely on crutches or wheelchairs.
Joe also took part in free anti-cancer drug trials, but gave up because it was too painful.
Compared with chemotherapy, the specific drug has few side effects and can improve his quality of life.
Although Joe is unlikely to be completely cured, the antidote relieves his pain, prolongs his life and gives him more time to spend with his family. He loves playing with his nephew, Jordan, who has been five months old.
But while a specific drug called Keytruda, which relieves his pain, has been included in PBS, but is currently limited to melanoma and Hodgkin's lymphoma, other types of cancer still need to be used at their own expense.
For Joe, this is like adding to the frost.
Richard Vines, chief executive of the Australian rare Cancer Society (Rare Cancers Australia), who has called for a relaxation of drug subsidies, said: "for patients with rare cancer, the cost of treatment will be very high and most Australians cannot afford it. Hopefully, PBS will give all cancer patients, not just ordinary cancer patients, drug subsidies. "