Cancer patient begs for drug
- From: "BigArtie" <xxx@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 15 May 2009 19:33:27 -0400
A CANCER patient, suffering from Stage Four lung cancer, has been joined by
her husband and family in calling for the Department of Health to make a
drug available that she has credited for saving her life.
Jacinta Donnelly from Oatfield Lawn was diagnosed with the illness in August
2008 and given a life expectancy of two to three months.
However she believes she is still alive today due to the support she has
received from her family and friends and a pill called Naltrexone, a pill
that the Irish government and European Union do not authorise for treatment
to people with cancer and multiple sclerosis.
The pill is available to buy from a pharmacist in the West of Ireland but is
not cheap and not easy to come by, according to the Donnellys.
Jacinta has also undergone chemotherapy and treatment at the Beacon Clinic
in Sandyford to reduce the size of tumours on her lungs but she believes
that the drug has given her a new lease of life.
She said: ?I was given just a few months to live but I am still here and
although I may worry my family at times I am feeling fine thanks largely to
this pill.?
The couple celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on Saturday, May 9 with
their four children, family and friends.
Jacinta?s husband John explains that her illness took the whole family by
surprise when it was diagnosed last year.
He said: ?Jacinta was doing a lot of coughing so after she tried some
antibiotics and it didn?t work her doctor sent her for an X-ray.
?We got the call soon after that and Jacinta was told she should contact the
doctor immediately. All of our lives changed after that day.?
He added: ?Jacinta has handled everything brilliantly.
?But, we had a shocker there on Good Friday when Jacinta suffered from a
spastic tumour.
?She just started talking non-sensically about putting dishes on the
clothesline.
It was worrying but, thankfully, there have been no repeats.?
John says that after his wife was given such a short time frame to live he
immediately went online to research the illness and look into treatments
that could make a difference.
John came across many theories, pills and treatments that were supposed to
help but none seemed viable until he learned about Naltrexone.
He said: ?The drug was made about 20 years ago and originally intended to
try and help people addicted to drugs and alcohol.
?But further tests found that it had a positive effect on people suffering
from cancer, MS and Crohn's disease.?
Ann Brown, Communication Officer at the Department of Health, stated: ?The
specific drug mentioned is only authorised as a medicinal product in Ireland
as an additional therapy, within a comprehensive medical and psychological
treatment programme, for de-toxified patients who have been
opioid-dependent.
?It is not authorised in Ireland or member states of the European Union for
the treatment of patients with other illnesses such as multiple sclerosis.?
John believes that the government and drug companies do not want to put the
money into testing because there is no substantial money to be made in
selling the drugs on.
He points out that people and medical experts he has met through a database
on the ?LDN? treatment are looking to start a campaign in countries across
the world to get the pill passed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Ms Brown added: ?An application for a clinical trial would have to be
submitted by the manufacturer or a clinician to the Irish Medicines Board
with the relevant supporting document. ?The trial would have to receive
ethics approval and be supervised by a consultant neurologist.?
John Donnelly says he has been supported in his quest to begin a nationwide
campaign to get the pill recognised by People Before Profit Alliance member
Gino Kenny and adds that Minister of State, John Curran TD has passed on a
request about the Donnellys to the Department of Health.
Gino Kenny commented: ?If the pill was patented it could be made very
cheaply.
?As a socialist I would agree with the idea that all people should have
access to the best medical care for as cheap as possible.?
http://www.echo.ie/news/Cancer-patient-begs-for-drug.5255212.jp
.
- Follow-Ups:
- Re: Cancer patient begs for drug
- From: Tick
- Re: Cancer patient begs for drug
- Prev by Date: Re: Sorry...
- Next by Date: Re: what a buch of hypocritical whiners.
- Previous by thread: OFF TOPIC: Radiation Treatment for Breast Cancer Causes Cancer in the Other
- Next by thread: Re: Cancer patient begs for drug
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
Loading
