"Just to get all the diagnostic testing done, it cost us $1600."
- Deanne Evans
A WARRNAMBOOL woman who beat breast cancer has welcomed Labor's commitment to ease financial strain for sufferers.
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Deanne Evans was forced to keep working while undergoing treatment to cover the costs she incurred.
"Just to get all the diagnostic testing done, it cost us $1600," Miss Evans said.
In addition to that she had countless visits her oncologist, which left her about $75 out of pocket for each appointment and the cost of medication.
Miss Evans said the financial burden of cancer treatment only added to the stress for sufferers.
She said she welcomed Labor's commitment to ease the strain.
"It's long overdue," Miss Evans said.
"You don't know what someone goes through until you see it first hand."
Miss Evans was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2015.
She underwent eight rounds of chemotherapy, a lumpectomy three months of radiotherapy.
Once she was cancer free she had various treatments, including Triptoerlin, which isn't on the PBS.
Luckily, Miss Evans was able to take that medication at no charge through compassionate access, but other people who have to pay for it face a bill of about $350 a month.
Labor has pledged $2.3 billion to slash the cost of cancer treatment by offering millions of free scans and consultations to prevent Australians being "impoverished" by the steep cost of fighting the disease.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten promised a dramatic expansion of Medicare to cover the out-of-pocket costs for 145,000 people who are diagnosed with cancer every year and must pay thousands of dollars for tests and medicines.
Mr Shorten told Parliament no one should have to sell the roof over their head to pay for cancer treatment.
"You'd sell the shirt off your back, but you shouldn't have to," he said.
"You pay your taxes to Canberra. You pay your Medicare levy. If I am elected prime minister, I'm going to make sure the health care system is there for you when you need it most."
The policy funds up to six million free medical scans and three million specialist consultations with no out-of-pocket costs for existing and future cancer patients, costing $2.3 billion over four years.
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