'This has to change': New dad, grieving mom fighting for Alberta to cover rare cancer treatment
A new dad from the Calgary area is pressing the province to fund a new cancer treatment that might improve his chances of seeing his daughter grow up.
Chris Dyment was diagnosed with bile duct cancer in April 2023 and after 12 rounds of chemotherapy, his treatment will soon end.
The 34-year-old’s daughter Courtney was born earlier this month.
“I look at my daughter and I want to be there with her," he said.
“Bile duct cancer is a very aggressive cancer and the percentages aren’t very high to begin with, so any percentage is better than none.”
Bile duct cancer, or cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), is a rare, aggressive cancer currently treated in Alberta by one drug, but if it’s unsuccessful, there is no second treatment option.
Health Canada has approved the use of the targeted therapy Pemigatinib (Pemazyre), but Alberta does not currently cover the roughly $15,000 per month cost.
Dyment desperately wants to be there for his daughter, but he knows his survival rate will drop dramatically without another treatment option.
"Obviously, I want to see her grow and without this drug, it’s almost impossible," he said.
Chris Dyment with his daughter Courtney, who was born on March 1. (Courtesy: Chris Dyment)
The pilot has not been able to work since his diagnosis and will likely be unable to afford Pemigatinib (Pemazyre).
“If this drug works, it really works. People have gotten into surgery which has saved their lives and then I can be there with my daughter when she gets married," he said.
Fighting for change
Brenda Clayton’s oldest daughter, Rebecca, was diagnosed with the rare cancer in 2020 and died in 2021, six and half months after her first-line treatment ended.
Her family has since started the charity Cholangio-hepatocellular Carcinoma Canada.
“I don’t want to see other people go through what Rebecca went through,” Clayton said.
Rebecca (front left) and Brenda (front right) Clayton seen in a family photo. Rebecca died from bile duct cancer in 2021. (Courtesy: Brenda Clayton)
Clayton said patients have an average of five months of survival off treatment unless they can find a treatment elsewhere in the world.
“This cancer is one of the few that does not have a second-line therapy to use,” she said. “This has to change and our Canadians deserve a chance at life.”
She said Quebec and countries including the United States, United Kingdom and China cover the cost of Pemigatinib.
Clayton said she will meet with Alberta Health Minister Adriana Lagrange on April 2 to discuss this.
“We recognize that people living with bile duct cancer have few treatment options and are seeking new and better ways to address this disease. At this time, Alberta is aligned with the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review’s Expert Review Committee,” Alberta Health said in a statement to CTV News.
“However, the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance is presently negotiating a pricing agreement with the drug’s manufacturer. If a pricing agreement is reached, each province and territory, including Alberta, will take into consideration both the committee’s recommendation and the pricing agreement when deciding whether or not to list the drug.”
In 2022, the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review’s Expert Review Committee recommended Pemazyre (pemigatinib) not be reimbursed on government-sponsored drug plans due to some uncertainty about the drug’s benefits.
On March 7, 2024, the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance started price negotiations with the manufacturer of Pemazyre.
Clayton said aside from Dyment she knows of one other Albertan waiting for the treatment.
She has also reached out to the health ministers in every province and territory in Canada, hoping to be part of a more promising future for people facing this disease.
“When she died she asked us to please continue the fight against cholangiocarcinoma.”
Dyment said he also contacted the health minister and received a similar statement as the one provided to CTV News.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.