<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-CA link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Hi all:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Below is the e-mail I sent to the Minister of Health & my local MPP.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Feel free to share it (in part or whole) with others in your networks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>If you send an e-mail to your MPP & the health minister, please send a copy to me and indicate if it may be shared.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Take care,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Glen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Glen Tolhurst [mailto:Glen46Nor@gmail.com] <br><b>Sent:</b> August 28, 2017 2:15 PM<br><b>To:</b> 'ehoskins.mpp@liberal.ola.org'; 'lsandals.mpp@liberal.ola.org'<br><b>Cc:</b> 'lsandals.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org'<br><b>Subject:</b> ROBOTIC ASSISTED PROSTATE SURGERY<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hon. Eric Hoskins & Hon. Liz Sandals:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The recent recommendation by the Ontario Health Technology Advisory Committee (OHTAC) against public funding of robotic prostate cancer surgery is simply short sighted and appalling.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As Chair of the Prostate Cancer Canada Network Waterloo- Wellington (PCCN W-W) chapter, as well as being a member of 2 other Prostate Cancer Support Groups (PCSG), I have met and interacted with a number of men diagnosed with Prostate Cancer (PCa). These men cover the range from newly diagnosed, through those treated by various modalities (surgery- robotic, open radical, radiation therapy external beam –EBRT & Brachytherapy LDR & HDR, hormone therapy, chemotherapy, High Intensity Focused Ultrasound-HIFU) to active surveillance. Amongst those PCSG members are the advanced cancer “warriors” some of whom are metastatic. In fact PCCN W-W lost a member to PCa metastasis in June of 2016 and currently has several members with metastatic PCa. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Before either of you drag out the costs of robotic assisted prostate surgery, be aware of the incremental costs of $3224/case of the procedure. For 2015, there were 2400 radical prostatectomy surgeries in Ontario of which 34% (or 814) were robotic assisted for a total cost of $3224 x 814 = $2,624,336. As the President of the Treasury Board, (Hon Liz Sandals) should surmise, this is miniscule in the scope of Ontario government spending. Minister Hoskins, as a doctor, should be aware of the Quality of Life positive impact of robotic assisted surgery as well as resultant cost savings of shorter hospital stays and less blood loss. Furthermore as a doctor he should recognize that robotic surgery decreases the impact of bending over a patient during the procedure and thus aids in back stress reduction of the surgeon. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Additionally, it is incomprehensible why Ontario remains the only province where men are charged to have a PSA test, unless they are diagnosed with PCa or are a direct relative of a PCa patient, dead or alive. Early detection saves lives. In the Region of Waterloo Wellington, 8 men die from PCa every month.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The next time you & your fellow MPPs gather in the legislature resplendent in prostate cancer ties, neck scarves, & lapel pins perhaps the above communication will really mean something to you.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You should then act to eliminate the de-funding of robotic surgery and provide coverage for PSA testing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Should you need further information, I attach the article by Dr. Neil Fleshner that appeared in the Globe & Mail 28 Aug 17 explaining “Why we need robots in our operating rooms”.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>BTW - I am a PCa survivor due to having paid for establishing a baseline PSA level, being timely diagnosed with early stage PCa, and being treated at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, which is 1 of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I trust you will not only provide a thoughtful reply but take the action outlined above.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Remember, 2018 is a provincial election year.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thank you,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Glen<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>Glen N. Tolhurst P.Eng. MBA</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:blue'>Chair PCCN Waterloo- Wellington</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>web site: </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><a href="http://pccn-waterloo-wellington.ca/" id=LPlnk825412><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>http://pccn-waterloo-wellington.ca/</span></a></span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>e-mail: </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><a href="mailto:info@pccn-waterloo-wellington.ca"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>info@pccn-waterloo-wellington.ca</span></a></span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>answering service 226-240-9264</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:red'>Direct contact via:</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Tel (519) 826-0716 </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Cell (519) 994-4536</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>e-mail: </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><a href="mailto:Glen46Nor@gmail.com"><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Glen46Nor@gmail.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>