Vancouver woman with rare cancer pleads for B.C. government to provide immunotherapy treatment

Tabitha Watmore may be in the last months of her life, with a cancer specialist saying without specialized treatment, she can only expect to live six months.

Despite that, she feels she can’t meet up with friends or family for a coffee or lunch in what could be her final days, because she is saving every dollar she has to pay for immunotherapy.

It’s a rare experience in this country, in which the vast majority of patients have their cancer treatment paid for by the government.

Tabitha Watmore has a rare form of cancer. She’s pleading for the government to fund specialized immunotherapy treatment, with her specialist saying without it, she likely has only six months to live. (Submitted)

But for Watmore, who has metastatic clear cell ovarian cancer, she’s on her own. The type of cancer she’s dealing with doesn’t respond well to chemotherapy, and that’s been her experience after six rounds.

An oncologist with BC Cancer has written a letter on Watmore’s behalf, saying “pembrolizumab could be a good next treatment option” for her. However, the doctor notes “there are no available funding streams for this through BC Cancer or patient access programs with Merck (a U.S. pharmaceutical company).”

Pembrolizumab, sold under the brand name KeyTruda, is approved and funded as a treatment option for certain types of cancer in B.C. But it is not approved for the type Watmore is dealing with.

“The government wants the drug companies to put these drugs through clinical trials and then get [regulatory] approval to pay for them,” Watmore said. “The drug I’m on is approved for certain types of cancers through the government, but not mine, and it won’t be for years, so they won’t have the trial data.”

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Watmore says it has been suggested to her that because her cancer is rare, there is little market incentive to prioritize clinical trials related to her specific type of cancer. But her doctor points to trial data indicating it could be an option.

In the meantime, Watmore has begun taking the treatment by paying out of pocket. However, with each round costing $10,500, she’s burning through cash quickly.

She tells CityNews she’s pulling out all of her savings, including her RRSP, in a last ditch attempt to stay alive.

“Eventually I’m going to go bankrupt,” Watmore said through tears. “You can’t get a bank loan, because I’m a single person. I don’t have a spouse, so there’s nobody working. To get a bank loan, you need a couple of pay stubs, and I’m on long-term disability.”

A friend set up a GoFundMe for Watmore, which had raised $13,000 as of early Tuesday afternoon.

Watmore is scheduled to go through her third round of immunotherapy this week and she’s been told it will take at least four treatments to know if it is helping her.

While there is no way to definitively know if the pembrolizumab is making a difference, Watmore is optimistic.

Tabitha Watmore’s arm is pictured with an IV administering a specialized immunotherapy treatment for a rare form of cancer she has. She is pleading with the B.C. government to fund the treatment. (Submitted)

She says she feels better now than she did in December, and has begun going for daily walks again. When she saw a new doctor recently, Watmore says the doctor was surprised that she was still able to cook, bathe herself, and go for walks at this stage of her cancer.

Watmore also wanted to thank her friends and family for the support they’ve provided in various ways since her diagnosis.

At that point she will undergo a scan. If the treatment is working, she will then hope to continue.

B.C. explains why it’s not currently funding treatment 

BC Cancer says pembrolizumab is currently approved in the province for treatment with cancers including “gastrointestinal, genitourinary, head and neck, lung, lymphoma, skin and melanoma. It is used primarily either alone or in combination with chemotherapy to control these cancers and extend survival. It is not yet funded for the treatment of ovarian cancer,” a statement from the agency reads. 

“The evidence supporting the use of pembrolizumab in ovarian cancer is still very preliminary and is not yet sufficient to support public funding. BC Cancer endeavors to be flexible and compassionate with patients and families in looking at treatment options while balancing the need to ensure patient safety and efficacy and a sustainable health care system. Given the high cost of pembrolizumab, we need to ensure that new treatments are not only effective but also cost effective and that we understand the potential value to patients and our health care system.”

“Before we make a decision on funding new expensive drugs, they need to be reviewed and recommended by CADTH and the pan Canadian Oncology Drug Review (pCODR) process. In addition, in the case of very costly drugs, a price reduction may also be needed before these treatment could be considered cost effective enough to fund.” 

BC Cancer says that the use of pembrolizumab in ovarian cancer has not been approved by Health Canada, and it has not been reviewed or recommended by the pCODR.

Although a statement from the Ministry of Health says it cannot comment on Watmore’s specific case, “care is provided based on the evidence and guidance we have available.”

The ministry also echoes BC Cancer’s note on the potential price point, adding that there is a long process involved in determining and approving drug use.

“We recognize the process can be long and this puts stress, including financial stress, on patients and their loved ones, especially at a time when they need to focus on their health. We endeavor to be flexible and compassionate with patients and families in looking at treatment options while balancing the need to ensure patient safety and efficacy. We need to ensure that new treatments are not only effective but also cost effective and that we understand the potential value to patients and our healthcare system,” the statement reads.