‘Wouldn’t have even known I had cancer’: Brisbane woman’s claims against Qld Health

After undergoing six weeks of chemotherapy a Brisbane woman claims she “wouldn’t have even known” she had cancer if she had stayed in Queensland’s public healthcare system.

Amanda Hedges with her radiation mask. Source: Supplied

After undergoing six weeks of chemotherapy a Brisbane woman claims she “wouldn’t have even known” she had cancer if she had stayed in Queensland’s public healthcare system.

“You think getting told you have a 90 per cent chance of cancer is the worst realisation”, said 31-year-old Amanda Hedges.

“But it was worse realising that I wouldn’t have even known I had cancer had I gone through the public system,” Ms Hedges said.

The Arana Hills woman has now turned to crowdfunding her life-saving treatments after feeling “let down” by public healthcare.

Ms Hedges’ world “shattered” when she went to her GP for headaches and scans revealed she had a large tumour in her brain.

Her GP recommended she urgently see a neurosurgeon to confirm if it was cancer.

“Now the referral for the public system would be about a month to see a neurosurgeon,” said Ms Hedges.

“I’ve just been told I had a tumour in my head, I don’t want to wait in limbo for a month.

Ms Hedges’ MRI scans revealed she had a tumour in her brain.

Source: Supplied

“So that’s when I made the switch to a private neurosurgeon. I went to the GP on the Friday and saw the neurosurgeon on the Monday. I only had the weekend to be freaking out instead of the month.”

Ms Hedges.

At the neurosurgeon Ms Hedges was advised to get a new type of scan called a FET-PET (Fluoroethyltyrosine-Positron Emission Tomography), which uses radiation to show how ‘active’ a brain tumour is.

“Other scans like MRI just show the size of the tumour, the FET-PET shows how aggressive, how dangerous it is,” said Hedges.

Ms Hedges was “disappointed” to find out that this crucial scan was not available through the public system, costing “$1000 a session” without a cent being covered by Medicare.

“There’s no rebate, no discount, nothing,” Ms Hedges said.

“My FET-PET scan came back really hot. They could tell just from the scan that it was a 90 per cent chance of cancer.

“Had I not had that scan, I could’ve been told to just ‘watch and wait.’

“This was only two and a half weeks after the first MRI. I would still be waiting in the public system.

“That realisation was more scary than having cancer,” Ms Hedges said.

Ms Hedges undergoing radiation treatment. Source: Supplied by Amanda Hedges

The Department of Health and Aged Care confirmed that the FET-PET scan is not currently listed under Medicare.

“Before a medical service is listed, it is assessed by the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC),” said a spokesperson from The Department of Health and Aged Care, “No applications for FET-PET brain scans have been received for MSAC assessment.”

After a private biopsy Ms Hedges was officially diagnosed with Glioblastoma, “the most aggressive and deadly form of brain cancer, with a prognosis of less than 24 months,” Ms Hedges said.

“Although it has been so expensive doing this privately, I don’t even think I would have the biopsy yet if I had gone through the public system.

“I’ve already had the biopsy, six weeks of chemo, 30 sessions of radiation, all privately. I wouldn’t have even had that opportunity, because I would’ve been wasting the little time I have on a waiting list.

Invoice of Ms Hedges’ weekly radiation treatments. While the treatment is partially covered by Medicare her out of pocket costs for the treatment add up to $740 a week. Source: Supplied by Amanda Hedges

“It’s even harder around Christmas. Everyone’s short-staffed because everyone goes on holidays. They deserve to go on holidays, but it means everything slows down between Christmas and New Years” Ms Hedges said.

“We are committed to delivering world-class cancer services,” said a spokesperson from Queensland Health.

“Nine in 10 Queenslanders requiring lifesaving neurosurgery are seen within clinically recommended times thanks to our dedicated neurosurgeons and oncologists.

“We know there is more to do, which is why are investing more than $1.7 billion in cancer care this year and building the new state-of-the-art Queensland Cancer Centre,” the spokesperson said.

“If you can afford to wait, then I think the public system is great,” Ms Hedges said.

“But imagine finding out that you only had 24 months to live and you wasted the first month just waiting just to see someone, not knowing what was going on.

“I’m spending my superannuation on life-prolonging treatment, instead of spending it on a bucket list while I’m still healthy.

“I’m having to spend all of the money I have just to stay alive,” said Ms Hedges.

Ms Hedges’ hope is that lifesaving treatments such as the FET-PET scan will be put on to Medicare.

“Patient wait times are a very complicated and hard to fix issue, but putting some of these critical treatments on the public system would be life changing for Australians with brain cancer,” she said.