[Hopespringpcsg] FW: ROBOTIC ASSISTED PROSTATE SURGERY

[Glen Tolhurst]

Hi all:

Below is the e-mail I sent to the Minister of Health & my local MPP.

Feel free to share it (in part or whole) with others in your networks.

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.

Take care,

Glen

 

 

From: Glen Tolhurst [mailto:Glen46Nor at gmail.com] 
Sent: August 28, 2017 2:15 PM
To: 'ehoskins.mpp at liberal.ola.org'; 'lsandals.mpp at liberal.ola.org'
Cc: 'lsandals.mpp.co at liberal.ola.org'
Subject: ROBOTIC ASSISTED PROSTATE SURGERY

 

Hon. Eric Hoskins & Hon. Liz Sandals:

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

You should then act to eliminate the de-funding of robotic surgery and
provide coverage for PSA testing.

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".

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.

 

I trust you will not only provide a thoughtful reply but take the action
outlined above.

Remember, 2018 is a provincial election year.

 

Thank you,

 

Glen

 

Glen N. Tolhurst  P.Eng. MBA

Chair PCCN Waterloo- Wellington

web site:  <http://pccn-waterloo-wellington.ca/>
http://pccn-waterloo-wellington.ca/ 

e-mail:  <mailto:info at pccn-waterloo-wellington.ca>
info at pccn-waterloo-wellington.ca 

answering service 226-240-9264

Direct contact via:

Tel (519) 826-0716 

Cell (519) 994-4536

e-mail:  <mailto:Glen46Nor at gmail.com> Glen46Nor at gmail.com

 

 

 

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