Sabrina Apitz-Grossman received a prognosis 13 months ago indicating she had approximately 12 to 18 months left to live. A rare cancer in her knee had spread to her lungs, leading to metastatic synovial sarcoma. Despite undergoing radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgeries, complete removal of the cancer was not possible.
Her physicians recommended a treatment sanctioned in the U.S. but not accessible in Ontario. Urgently needing this treatment, Apitz-Grossman faced rejection from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan for coverage outside the country. Appeals and applications for special permission at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre also proved unsuccessful.
Expressing her determination to fight on, Apitz-Grossman expressed her desire to celebrate her 32nd birthday. Alongside other Stage 4 cancer patients in Ontario, she found hope in a recent legal victory by 37-year-old Alex Shved, who challenged and won against OHIP’s denial of out-of-country treatment.
However, their hopes were dashed when Health Minister Sylvia Jones altered the rules in response to the court ruling. The new policy stipulates that drug treatments will only be funded abroad if they are already funded in Ontario but temporarily inaccessible, a condition that many patients find overly restrictive.
Jones defended the change as a measure to safeguard patients and taxpayers from exorbitant costs and ensure access to life-saving medications. Criticized for framing the decision as a cost-saving strategy, Apitz-Grossman questioned whether sacrificing lives to save costs was morally justifiable.
The treatment Apitz-Grossman seeks, Tecelra, involves personalized therapy using a patient’s T-cells. Her oncologist indicates that nearly half of patients in similar conditions respond well to the treatment, with high survival rates after one and two years.
Despite the high cost of $727,000 US for Tecelra, Apitz-Grossman remains resolute in her pursuit of life. Manufacturers’ reluctance to seek approval in Canada has hindered patients like Kevin Nash and Holly Wardlow from accessing crucial treatments, leading to denials and financial strains.
Wardlow and her husband resorted to crowdfunding after exhausting their savings to fund her treatments in Ontario. Despite the challenges, they remain hopeful for a positive outcome in the future.
For more details, you can visit the original article [here](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ohip-out-of-country-coverage-denial-cancer-treatment-9.7389736).
