Cancer Patients Face Treatment Gap as Costly HER2 Drug Lacks Subsidy
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Lung cancer remains Hong Kong's deadliest cancer, claiming 3,880 lives in 2023 and accounting for 26.1% of all cancer deaths . A newly published opinion piece by cancer patient advocate Fong Ka-yee, chairperson of the Cancer Information Network Charity Fund, has drawn attention to a critical gap in treatment access for patients with HER2-mutated lung cancer, a rare but aggressive subtype .
Key Points
- HER2 lung cancer represents 2% to 4% of all lung cancer cases, featuring higher malignancy and frequent brain metastasis, with patients typically younger and more often female non-smokers .
- New oral selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have emerged as effective targeted therapies, but remain unavailable as first-line treatment in public hospitals because they are not on Hong Kong's subsidized drug list .
- A 77-year-old female patient diagnosed with stage IV HER2 lung cancer in 2024 abandoned treatment after learning annual drug costs exceeded HK$700,000, then attempted treatment in Shenzhen but suffered severe hardship .
- The patient was hospitalized for over 20 days in a Hong Kong hospital after developing fever before even crossing the border, illustrating the risks of seeking cross-border medical care .
- The patient told the author in despair: "Hong Kong's medicine is too expensive, going north is too arduous—I can only wait to die here" .
- Fong Ka-yee, who was diagnosed with stomach cancer at age 19 and has since recovered, wrote the piece based on her personal experience as a cancer survivor .
Why It Matters
Without subsidy inclusion, effective new cancer therapies remain accessible only to wealthy patients, deepening health inequality in a city with a public healthcare system meant to serve all citizens. The case also exposes growing pressure on Hong Kong patients to seek treatment across the border, where logistical and medical complications can outweigh cost savings and delay critical care.
Without subsidy inclusion, effective new cancer therapies remain accessible only to wealthy patients, deepening health inequality in a city with a public healthcare system meant to serve all citizens. The case also exposes growing pressure on Hong Kong patients to seek treatment across the border, where logistical and medical complications can outweigh cost savings and delay critical care.