Experts issuing urgent plea for men with high-risk prostate cancer
Australian cancer experts are today issuing an urgent plea for innovative prostate cancer treatment be covered on Medicare for men living with the more advanced form of the disease, or risk falling behind global standards of care.
Their call follows the publication of the international ASCENDE-RT trial data which revealed the largest tumour control, or ‘cure rates’ ever seen in radiotherapy,1 after investigating low dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy and external beam radiation therapy in men with locally advanced prostate cancer.
Both treatments are approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and covered under Medicare for those living with intermediate-risk prostate cancer.2,3 However, the independent Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) is yet to list the combination therapy on Medicare for men with high-risk prostate cancer, the most advanced form of the disease.
The independent Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) advises the Australian Government about which services should be funded on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS). It does so by assessing the best available evidence of a medical service’s safety, clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and total cost compared with an existing service for a condition.
The decision to list the combination therapy for men with high-risk prostate cancer on Medicare is currently under review by MSAC.
