Life-saving treatment for neuroendocrine cancer available for patients in New Zealand stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
About 370 people are diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumours in New Zealand every year. In three quarters of cases the cancer has already spread by the time they are diagnosed, and about 25 people are suitable for PRRT each year. The therapy, which uses drugs to identify and attack cancer cells while reducing harm to healthy tissue, has been funded in Australia for about 20 years, but New Zealanders used to have to fork out about $60,000 to access the treatment there. Berge considered paying for the treatment himself in Melbourne in 2019 but was told by his doctors he should wait as it would soon be publicly funded.