“Treatments like this – CAR-T therapies and others coming through in a rapidly changing medical world – I hope to be available to everyone who needs them in Australia and NZ (and worldwide),” said actor Sam Neill. His advocacy for CAR T-cell therapy underscores the significant differences in blood cancer treatment access between Australia and New Zealand.
Neill is cancer-free after receiving treatment for lymphoma blood cancer in Australia. He is now pushing for public funding of CAR T-cell therapy, which is available in Australia’s public health system for certain blood cancers. In stark contrast, patients in New Zealand must seek offshore treatment as the therapy is not funded there.
The cost of CAR T-cell therapy exceeds NZ$700,000 per patient in New Zealand. This financial burden forces many patients to consider medical migration to access necessary treatments. Andrew Mackintosh, another advocate, faced an eight-month wait for a stem cell transplant due to a lack of hospital space in New Zealand.
There are over 100 types of blood cancer, including leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. An estimated 27,000 Kiwis live with blood cancer, with one in 18 developing it during their lifetimes. Blood cancer ranks as the third-leading cause of cancer death and often cannot be prevented or screened for effectively.
Mackintosh expressed frustration over treatment delays, stating, “The gaps that I had in the system, they cost me more. They cost me in terms of the outcomes that I’ve got, they’ve cost me in terms of not being able to get back to the workforce.” He also highlighted the need to address treatment disparities across regions.
The New Zealand government plans to establish a task force following a recent report on blood cancer care. This initiative aims to improve access to new therapies and reduce waiting times for patients.
As advocates like Neill and Mackintosh continue their efforts, the focus remains on bridging the gap in healthcare funding and ensuring equitable access to life-saving treatments for all patients across both countries.
