Cancer
Kiwis leaving NZ to access lifesaving drugs
Claudine Johnstone uprooted her family to move from Dunedin to Australia in order to get treament for breast cancer. The medicine she needs isn't available in New Zealand. The cancer society's medical… Audio
Pharmac allowing people to die – cancer patient
Breast cancer patient Terre Maize has spearheaded the push for Pharmac to fund life-extending drugs. She told Alex Perrottet the system is allowing people to die, and the whole funding body needs a… Video, Audio
Dr Hilary Chung - Living with metastatic breast cancer
Dr Hilary Chung is an academic specialising in Asian studies and comparative literature at the University of Auckland, and the founding director of the University's popular Global Studies Programme… Audio
The double-edged sword of the Pharmac lottery
Pharmac attracts a lot of flak for what it doesn't fund in the way of drugs - but it's also the envy of the world for its ability to negotiate down prices. Do we have the balance right? Audio
Family continues fight for asbestos cancer sufferer
Family and friends of Deanna Trevarthen, who died after being exposed to asbestos on her father's clothing, have gone to the High Court in Wellington today to continue her battle for ACC cover. Audio
Cancer advocate's death presses need for Pharmac action, patients say
A long-time advocate for breast cancer patients has died, as Pharmac's drug advisory panel has again delayed its decision on funding life-prolonging cancer treatments. Audio
Pharmac delays decision on funding life-prolonging drugs
A long-time advocate for breast cancer patients has died, as Pharmac's drug advisory panel again delays its decision on funding life-prolonging cancer treatments Kadcyla and Ibrance. Alex Perrottet… Audio
Cancer sufferers and families deliver petitions to Parliament
People desperately seeking cancer treatment which could extend their lives by years, took their battle to increase Pharmac spending to Parliament today. Audio
Dr Lisa Sanders - Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis
Dr Lisa Sanders is an internist on the faculty of the Yale School of Medicine where she teaches topics related to clinical reasoning and diagnosis to both medical students and residents. Sanders… Audio
Three Minutes Max: Dame Diane Robertson
Dame Diane Robertson has been thinking about bucket lists. Audio
Health select committee rejects pleas by cancer patients for inquiry
Bitterly disappointed breast cancer patients have accused the government of interfering in the work of a select committee. Audio
Can dogs help diagnose prostate cancer?
A dog's nose is one of the most sensitive in the animal kingdom, and scientists at the University of Otago want to see if this can be applied to medical science. Audio
Josh Komen: His race to stay alive
Josh Komen was on the verge of representing New Zealand at the next Commonwealth Games when he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia at 23-years-old. Audio
David Clark on Pharmac, drugs and a life’s worth
Checkpoint presenter Lisa Owen interviews Health Minister David Clark on Pharmac's funding model, why life-prolonging drugs aren't being funded, and whether it's high time for an independent review… Video, Audio
Ma'a Nonu eyes return to All Blacks
Back in New Zealand for his third stint with the Blues, Ma'a Nonu has made it clear returning to the All Blacks is on his wish-list, as is finally lifting the Super Rugby trophy. Video, Audio
Terminally ill breast cancer patients plea: Fund drugs or we die
New drugs have extended terminally ill breast cancer patients' lives by months and years. And while they're available overseas, they're not funded here, meaning NZ patients are dying far quicker than… Video, Audio
Cancer and the unbearable asymmetry of BS
A major cancer conference in Wellington attracted experts from around the world but Mediawatch's Jeremy Rose argues some media coverage was anything but world class. Audio
Professor Richard Sullivan - A global view of cancer treatment
Richard Sullivan is Professor of Cancer & Global Health at Kings College London (KCL), and is the director of the Institute of Cancer Policy. He qualified in medicine, trained in surgery (urology)… Audio
1/4 of people diagnosed with bowel cancer after visit to ED
New research shows one third of people under 50 only find out they have bowel cancer when they turn up to a hospital emergency department. Audio
Cancer conference puts action plan in motion
A cancer action plan is in the works after a conference on cancer in Wellington highlighted major flaws in the public health system. Audio