Source: Radio New Zealand
Cervical cancer survivor Jen Jewell. RNZ / Kate Green
Cervical cancer survivor Jen Jewell says she is one of the lucky ones – at least, if you can call anyone diagnosed with cancer “lucky”.
Speaking to a packed room at Parliament on Thursday morning, at the launch of the Cancer Society’s election manifesto, she told her story of finding abnormal cells in a smear test, aged 35.
Among the society’s requests, a fully-funded cervical screening programme at a cost of $21 million a year, and delivery on the 90 percent HPV immunisation target by 2030.
Each year, about 175 New Zealanders are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 55 die from it.
For Jewell, as for so many others, her diagnosis came as a shock.
“My world dropped out from under me,” she said. “But I was still so lucky. The cancer had been caught early. As soon as they knew what was going on, they told me, ‘It’s not a question of if we cure you, it’s a question of how’.”
In her case, the answer was radiotherapy, followed up with a small amount of chemotherapy.
Her treatment in New Zealand took six months – during which time some of the women she had met through a UK-based support group had not even had a follow-up appointment after finding abnormal cells.
And she now had a two-year-old son, born via a surrogate.
She said if she herself had been born just a few years later, she would have received the HPV vaccine at school, between classes without a second thought.
“When I think about the specialist care, the tests and treatments, the fertility preservation, the bureaucracy of surrogacy, all of which I’m endlessly grateful for, it’s staggering to consider that a simple vaccine could have saved all of that cost and work and time and pain.”
The Cancer Society, in its manifesto, has asked for a switch to a single-dose HPV immunisation schedule as soon as legislation allowed, and for increased funding for HPV immunisation awareness campaigns.
The vaccine also protected from five other cancer types – vaginal and vulval cancers, anal cancer, throat cancer, and penile cancer.
Right now, HPV vaccination rates were sitting at 59 percent.
Nicola Coom, the Cancer Society’s chief executive, said New Zealand had to dream bigger – by comparison, Australia was on track to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035.
“We have the tools, we have the knowledge, but what is required now is the commitment to act with urgency and at scale,” she said.
“If saving lives isn’t compelling enough now, how about the financial benefits? New Zealand spends around $35 million every year treating cervical cancer. For a similar cost, we could eliminate it.”
On Thursday, representatives from the various political parties spoke to their commitments.
Health minister Simeon Brown. RNZ / Mark Papalii
Health minister Simeon Brown said an elimination plan was a priority.
“Through the Cancer Control Agency and other health agencies, we’re currently developing a national strategy to guide the system towards eliminating cervical cancer in New Zealand,” he said.
“This is one of the few cancers we have a real opportunity to eliminate, and we’re committed to making progress against this.”
MPs from ACT, the Greens and New Zealand First all threw their support behind early detection and better treatment.
Te Pāti Māori MP Debbie Ngarewa-Packer was not in attendance, and gave her apologies – she said she had been called home, and with two parents in cancer treatment herself, she “wholeheartedly supports this kaupapa”.
Labour’s health spokesperson and former health minister Ayesha Verrall. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Labour’s health spokesperson and former health minister Ayesha Verrall said if Labour got into government, it would introduce free cervical screening “for all who need it”.
She said her party was committed to eliminiation, and its policy of three free GP visits per person would help with early detection.
“I was incredibly proud as Minister of Health to modernise the screening programme based on Bev Lawton’s research to allow HPV self-screening alongside vaccination – Jen, one of the initiatives that will mean cervical cancers like yours will be a thing of the past.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
