World TNBC Day: Fund new treatments to stop breast cancer becoming incurable
On World Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) Day, 3 March, Breast Cancer Foundation NZ is calling on the government to fund more treatments for early breast cancer, warning that without urgent action, more New Zealanders will develop advanced, incurable disease.
The call follows findings from a recent major report by the charity, Rethinking Advanced Breast Cancer: Evidence, experience and opportunities in Aotearoa New Zealand, which highlights persistent inequities for people with advanced breast cancer (ABC, also called stage 4 or metastatic breast cancer).
While women in Aotearoa are living longer with ABC, the research shows improvements are not being experienced equally – and TNBC remains one of the most aggressive and high-risk subtypes.
The findings reveal TNBC accounts for 15% of advanced diagnoses, compared with 11% of early-stage cases. It also progresses to stage 4 around a year faster than other more common breast cancer subtypes. This reflects TNBC’s higher risk of returning and spreading after initial treatment.
Given its aggressive nature, limited access to publicly funded treatments for TNBC in New Zealand is deeply concerning – denying many patients their best chance of long-term survival.
“We’ve seen welcome progress in the funding of medicines for advanced breast cancer, but early-stage triple negative breast cancer is still an area of urgent need,” says Ah-Leen Rayner, chief executive of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.
“Funding treatment to reduce the risk of triple negative breast cancer progressing to an incurable stage will not only saves lives, it also makes economic sense. When breast cancer is treated early and effectively, people can continue working, supporting their families, and contributing to their communities.”
The immunotherapy drug Keytruda is currently the only targeted treatment available for TNBC and it’s widely available in more than 40 countries. It has been publicly funded in New Zealand for people with advanced TNBC since October 2024 but remains unfunded for those diagnosed at earlier stages, where it could prevent the cancer from becoming incurable.
Keytruda for early-stage TNBC is on Pharmac’s Options for Investment list, meaning it could be funded if additional budget becomes available. However, more than 100 other medicines are also waiting for funding.
New Zealand currently spends just 0.4% of GDP on medicines, well below the OECD average of 1.4%. Breast Cancer Foundation NZ is urging the Government to increase the medicines budget to allow faster access to proven treatments for early-stage breast cancer.
“We have clear evidence that earlier access to essential medicines can stop people dying of breast cancer. Investing earlier reduces the emotional and financial toll of advanced cancer later, on both individuals and the health system. We can’t afford to keep waiting,” Ah-Leen adds.