BCNA’s Annual Review 2020-21 now available

Our latest Annual Review for 2020–21 is now available. Tracking the first 18 months of the pandemic to BCNA’s new June financial year-end, it reflects the strength and determination of our network to meet the challenges of the times.

During this time, BCNA pivoted to respond to the critical needs of our network, seamlessly delivering information and support and raising our collective voice to address disruptions in the health sector that affected those diagnosed with breast cancer.

Highlights included:

• Receiving more than 2,300 responses to our COVID-19 consumer survey, which helped us advocate to keep the needs of people with breast cancer on the COVID-19 health response agenda
• Nearly 10,000 people registered for My Journey, our Helpline answered 16,000 calls for assistance, our podcasts were downloaded 25,000 times, and nearly 5,000 people participated in our first digital conference
• The unwavering support of our long-term partners, sponsors and supporters, who gave us much-needed certainty during an uncertain time
• Expanding our reach and keeping people informed, which resulted in more than 300,000 visits to both our Online Network and website and 3.1 million social media impressions.

Thanks to our engaged network, committed partners and dedicated staff, BCNA continues to be a vital influencer and change-maker.

BCNA submissions to PBAC 

As part of BCNA’s commitment to reduce the financial burden of breast cancer, we regularly make submissions on behalf of our members to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee in support of new breast cancer treatments. The PBAC is the authority that makes recommendations to the Australian Government on which drugs should be subsidised through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule (PBS).

In the last three months, BCNA has made submissions in strong support of two breast cancer treatments being included on the PBS:

• Trodelvy® (sacituzumab govitecan) – This treatment offers improved progression-free survival rates in people with triple negative metastatic breast cancer, a group which has traditionally seen poorer outcomes and fewer treatments available to them.
• Verzenio® (abemaciclib) – This treatment is for people with HR-positive and HER2- negative invasive early breast cancer. Verzenio is already on the PBS for people with metastatic breast cancer, and we are excited at the possibility of increasing the number of those who are eligible for this subsidy.

Access programs are being run for both treatments, and BCNA recommends speaking directly to your oncologist or treating team if you have questions regarding these treatments or your eligibility to access them.

We are expecting the outcomes of these submissions over the coming months, and will keep our network informed and up-to-date on all available and emerging treatments. BCNA thanks the consumers who offered their insight into these submissions and are helping us to advocate for affordable breast cancer treatments in Australia.