Treatment for childhood cancer is available at only a limited number of hospitals, placing a heavy burden on families who travel long distances for care. One family from Mie Prefecture traveled to a hospital in Tokyo to participate in a clinical trial, incurring total transportation costs of approximately ¥2.2 million.
There are many types of childhood cancer, and although patient numbers are small, many patients participate in clinical trials and clinical research. Such participation contributes to the development of new drugs, but only a limited number of hospitals conduct these studies, creating a heavy burden for families who must travel long distances for treatment.
Ayako Hirasawa (平沢綾子), 43, of Tsu, Mie Prefecture, continued traveling with her eldest son, Yuma (勇舞), 11, to the National Cancer Center Hospital in Tsukiji, Tokyo. When the illness first developed, he was diagnosed with disseminated juvenile xanthogranuloma with an ALK gene alteration, and they chose a clinical trial of the molecular-targeted drug alectinib.
The one-way journey from home to the hospital, involving transfers between a limited express train and the Shinkansen, took approximately 3.5 hours. Believing in the possibility of a cure, they continued the long-distance hospital visits throughout treatment, but the transportation costs mounted considerably. The total was reportedly approximately ¥2.2 million.