‘Impending crisis’ that could cost the lives of Australians

Australians will needlessly die in the coming decades if the government does not invest in the “holy grail” of cancer cures, world-leading medical experts say.

Experts believe 80 cancers could be curable within 30 years but Australia is lagging behind. Picture: iStock

World-leading medical experts believe 80 per cent of cancers will be able to be cured within 30 years but Australians may needlessly die because the federal government “has its head in the sand”.

Professor Miles Prince, an internationally recognised haematologist based in Melbourne, says immunotherapies is the “holy grail” of curing cancer, but other countries were racing ahead of Australia to be at the forefront of the treatment.

The Director of Cancer immunology and molecular oncology at Epworth Healthcare and haematologist at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre said it was an “impending crisis” and that without action now, Australians would die unless they were very rich and could afford the life saving treatment themselves.

Professor Miles Prince is an internationally recognised haematologist based in Melbourne. Picture: Tony Gough

He is calling on the Albanese government to set-up an independent think tank that could monitor the 1000 current immunotherapy trials happening worldwide, advise on what treatments are the most promising and plan how to fund them.

“Right now, Australia has its head in the sand,” Prof Prince said.

“This is the holy grail of cancer treatment. Immunotherapies are already curing some blood cancers and every year more and more cancers will be able to be cured with it.

“It is entirely realistic that within 30 years, 80 per cent of all cancers could be cured

“But if we don’t take action or make decisions now, we are going to be left way behind.”

Prof Prince likened the situation to the first aeroplane flights.

“We are past the Wright brothers first flight in 1903. We are like the aircraft between the wars and there is the potential to have immunotherapies that reach the power of supersonic aircraft,” he said.

One type of treatment, called CAR T cell therapy, is already being used to cure blood cancers like leukaemia and lymphoma.

This is when infection fighting cells are removed from the body, genetically reprogrammed to seek out cancer and then returned to the patient.

But the treatment is not funded for myeloma.

Almost 3,000 Australians each year are diagnosed with the disease and the average life expectancy is 13 months.

Studies show 97 per cent of patients respond to this treatment and 800 fewer people would die each year.

Prof Prince says immunotherapies is the “holy grail” of curing cancer. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

But the Medical Service Advisory Committee refused to fund the treatment, citing it was not “value for money.”

“Bureaucrats are not making decisions based on good scientific evidence at the moment and people are dying,” Prof Prince said.

“I saw two patients just yesterday, two people who should get the treatment, two people who could be saved with this treatment.

“We must be asking bigger questions and not just focusing on the immediate dollar cost. We could develop a thriving Australian research and production industry around this challenge.

“There is a lack of logical approach to immunotherapy approvals and planning for the future. The government is doing nothing and it could be doing something.”

He said the formation of an independent health think tank, similar to the soon to be created Australian Centre for Disease Control, could “provide structure and properly evaluate the immunotherapy landscape”.

“Just like the reserve bank monitors the financial machinations of the world, we need a medical equivalent. It could monitor the research and trials and prepare for what is coming by investing in the technology for it – and that will reduce costs.

“We had to have a pandemic before we were prepared for that. We didn’t even know who the experts were. We can’t be slow to this.”

He added: “There are 1000 potential treatments beyond cancer on the horizon. It is not inconceivable that diseases like Type 1 diabetes could be cured with T cells.

“This is like climate change and the move from fossil fuels to renewables. It’s that important and complex and if we don’t act.

“We’ll have a tsunami of lifesaving treatments heading our way with no financial strategy.

“The US get it, the UK get it. We must act and prepare now or quite simply Australians will die when they do not need to.”