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Cancer patient Anda Kivliša: ‘The medicine will run out at Christmas, but I don’t want to give up!’

A few months ago, an ovarian cancer patient Anda Kivliša applied to the organization “Ziedot.lv”, because it turned out that the state reimburses her medicine only in case of disease progression, which in Anda’s situation would mean waiting until it gets worse. Thanks to the support of donors, Anda managed to start therapy, but the purchased doses of the drug will be enough only until the end of the year. To find out how Anda feels now and what she plans to do in the future, she answers current questions.

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Not long ago, you went to a computed tomography to make sure the cancer had not come back. What were the results?

Fortunately, no cancer cells were found in my body, and now things are going well. But my health is like a time bomb. If I do not use the target therapy “Olaparibum” prescribed to me, there is a much higher chance that the tumor will reappear at some point. At the moment, thanks to the support of donors, I have started treatment with the drug, but I am worried about what will happen in a few months, when the donated money will run out, and I will no longer be able to buy medicine.

Or after receiving a refusal from National Health Service have you continued to look for other solutions?

Upon receiving the refusal, I did not rest and continued to call and write to the responsible authorities. I learned that more than a million euros have been collected from tobacco excise duty over the last six months above the plan. This tax was intended to provide funding for tests for cancer markers and for the treatment of prostate and ovarian cancer. The first two were funded, but ovarian cancer patients did not receive the additional funding promised. Apparently, the money was used for other purposes. I believe that such a practice is unacceptable, so I am now ready to fight for what has been promised. I have already submitted the second letter Ministry of Health, in which please explain why the money for ovarian cancer patients has not been used for its intended purpose.

So, you are currently fighting not only for your own rights, but for the rights of all ovarian patients?

Yes. My goal is to make modern treatment available to every woman with ovarian cancer. Not all patients are ready to acknowledge their diagnosis in public, but as I have dared to do so, I feel a responsibility to speak on their behalf. I hope that in the future, both ovarian cancer patients and patients with other types of cancer will become more active and will realize that asking for money for treatment is not a shame. The more we talk about the problems in oncology, the more likely we are to succeed in achieving change. Together with the Oncology Patient Support Association “Tree of Life” and the Oncology Patient Support Association “Onkonet”, I have joined an initiative aimed at raising funding for cancer treatment. I invite others to sign this initiative on the website “Manabalss.lv.”

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