You Can't Coach That

Saturday, May 26, 2007

It was reported on our local television news last night that a man suffering from prostate cancer had benefited from the drug docetaxel. This drug has benefits in the treatment of several forms of cancer including prostate, breast and ovarian cancer. This is great news as the drug has the potential to extend the lives of those with later stage prostate cancer.

Here in Australia the news is not all good however. This drug is covered on our Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule for breast and ovarian cancer but not for prostrate cancer. The cost of the drug without the PBS subsidy is up to $1,289.30 according to the PBS website. After the subsidy the cost to the patient is $30.70. The patient referred to in the news story last night had spent $20,000 on treatment.

If this situation were reversed and the treatment was subsidised for prostate cancer and not for breast cancer there would be an outcry, and rightly so. But where is the outcry now?

It is right and necessary that past injustices are corrected. I refer of course to addressing the imbalance between the opportunities afforded to females compared to males. However, there appears to be a fear these days that those who speak out in favour of the rights of men are going to be labeled as a misogynist. This situation can not be allowed to continue.

This inequity is apparently to be “reviewed later in the year”. What’s wrong with right bloody now!

This post is dedicated to my late Grandfather.

“You can’t coach that”