Cancer treatment costs: 'I had to rob money from the money we’d set aside for my son’s wedding'

Bernard Mahon told his story at the IPHA annual conference, which was held this year at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre. Picture: Maxwells

A cancer patient, who dipped into his son’s wedding money to fund life-saving treatment that his insurer initially refused to cover, has called for “dramatically unfair” limits on drugs funding to end.

Professor Bernard Mahon was diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer and thought last Christmas could be his last until he gained access to a game-changing drug, Pembrolizumab.

Speaking at the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) conference, he described those frightening months not knowing if he would get access to the drugs that gave him the best chance of survival.

A consultant told him that his cancer was inoperable just six weeks after his health concerns were first raised. 

“It was startling, unreal, surreal,” he said.

The doctor said immunotherapy was suitable but was not available through the HSE. Prof Mahon assumed his health insurance would cover the drug treatment but was soon informed that it was not the case.

He then launched a publicity campaign with his family. 

“I was able to shame my insurer basically into providing this,” he said.

However, he paid around €8,000 of his own money for the first round of treatment, saying: “You don’t have the time to wait."

I had to rob money from the money we’d set aside for my son’s wedding.

This is the same drug which cervical cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan relied on to extend her life when she faced a terminal diagnosis.

Prof Mahon, an immunologist and lecturer at University of Maynooth, used social media to raise awareness of the unfair access to life-saving drugs. 

He avoided doing a GoFundMe campaign, feeling this would pit him against children fundraising for scoliosis treatment or refugees from Ukraine. 

“I want what was mine by right, nothing more or less. So the fundraising (for medicine) or ‘let’s all go out and have jumble sales’ is nonsense,” he said.

The treatment saved his life. 

“My son is getting married in the summer and I’m going to be able to see that," he said.

The IPHA conference in Dublin focused on the case for fairer and faster access to new medicines.

Prof Mahon said he was “really shocked” listening to the presentations to realise it is "not solely a financial issue, it’s a delivery issue".

A spokeswoman for Laya Healthcare said: “Cover for high-cost cancer drugs, including Pembrolizumab, is subject to pre-authorisation and a case-by-case review, evaluated under multiple criteria prior to approval.” 

A medical advisory panel evaluates each case, regardless of cancer type and other factors. It is understood initial refusals can be overturned on receipt of further information.