Stephen Fox, Director of Pathology at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, shared on LinkedIn:
“Australia’s MSAC approval process for funding cancer genomic testing is not keeping pace.
Having returned from a few weeks in Europe, attending the European Society of Human Genetics and the European Association for Cancer Research, and visiting colleagues at the at Royal Marsden Hospital this was crystal clear
It was a valuable trip. Not just for the science, but for seeing how other health care systems support cancer genomic testing.
It is clear that Australia is not serving its solid cancer patients.
For example, the UK has built a well-funded, dynamic framework for cancer genomic testing via its Test Directory. Testing is accessible, processes move quickly to provide new tests and patients get equitable access. It’s not perfect by any means, but it works. Coming home, the contrast is hard to ignore.
We have excellent pathology labs doing world-class work in Australia, but the funding system isn’t even supporting the “no brainer” cancer genomic tests that have been available for many years in other jurisdictions. I note MSAC have declined CUP and ctDNA testing in lung and breast in just the last 6 months or so.
We need a new process. One that enables appropriate support for patients with cancer through timely, funded genomic testing.
Other countries are showing it can be done. It’s time Australia caught up.”
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