Ontario mayor taking provincial government to task over cancer surgery

In the pre-dawn dark, Hector Macmillan and a couple of friends were stationed in front of the doors to Princess Margaret Hospital, one of the top cancer hospitals in the country.

They put up sandwich boards and handed out leaflets.

Hector Macmillan is a politician and serves as the mayor of Trent Hills. But this campaign isn’t about votes, it’s about lives.

Nearly a year ago Macmillan was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

“And was told that I had a maximum of 11 months to live,” he said.

READ MORE: Ontario woman denied coverage for cancer surgery in Germany says system failed her

He was informed chemotherapy would only take him so far and that surgery was not an option, he was stage four.

“They wrote me off,” Macmillan said.

Then he found NanoKnife surgery, in which tumour cells are destroyed using electricity.

It’s available in Germany and the United States. However, OHIP refused to pay for it.

Macmillan went ahead and got the surgery in Germany anyway thanks to supporters who fundraised tens of thousands of dollars.

He said he’s alive and has the strength to demand funding for other pancreatic cancer patients because of those who helped him.

“I am doing this in recognition of what they did for me,” Macmillan said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I am doing this in recognition of what they did for me," Macmillan said.

A study published in the U.S. more than a year ago found that NanoKnife surgery doubled survival rates of pancreatic cancer patients.

One of the reasons OHIP gave for not funding the surgery out of country is that they consider it experimental

Perry Brodkin, a former OHIP lawyer, said patients can appeal, but wins are rare “because OHIP has unlimited resources to retain an unlimited number of experts.”

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Macmillan’s supporters pointed out the surgery has been performed for about six years in the U.S., which is where Joel Weiss went in August.

He said before the surgery, he was told his prognosis was ‘just a question of time.’

“Now I’m cancer free,” he exclaimed.

The procedures didn’t come cheap though. Once all the bills are paid, it will have cost him about $300,000.

“I gave up part of my retirement, but at least I will have a retirement,” Weiss said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I gave up part of my retirement, but at least I will have a retirement," Weiss said.

The University Health Network confirmed that NanoKnife surgery is being done in Ontario, but only on a trial basis for certain liver cancer patients – not pancreatic cancer patients.

Macmillan said he wants Ontario’s Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins to get change that. Hoskins was not available for an interview.

Meanwhile, Macmillan warned the provincial government that he’s not giving up and said this is just day one of his campaign.

“I told them I would be back.”