The Cost of Cancer Care, Part 2

Cost is now becoming a significant factor in people's cancer treatment decisions - something that should not be happening.

In the past decades, and more significantly in recent years, there have been many developments in cancer treatment. We hear talk about individualized medicine, new treatments which add months to stage IV cancer patients' lives, and more. But we rarely or never hear about the costs. I think of it as the silent side of treatment.

Often these new treatments costs tens of thousands of dollars or more for a single year of treatment with a single dose coming in at the multi-thousand level. What is wrong with this picture? Lots. Why should a patient make a decision on their life because their cancer treatment which could extend their life is out of their price range? Please do not suggest the patients ask for assistance from the pharmaceutical companies because that is not always available.

See this example from an article on CancerNetwork.com, titled "The Cost of Cancer Care, Part I":

"Three years ago, I counseled a patient after a gastrointestinal stromal tumor had been resected from his stomach. I was pleased to be able to tell him that imatinib (Drug information on imatinib) (Gleevec), a drug very well tolerated by most patients, would meaningfully reduce his risk of recurrence. Later, we learned that his out-of-pocket expense under his Medicare Part D plan would be several thousands of dollars for a year of treatment. The patient decided the expense was too onerous and that he would forgo treatment. Patient assistance programs are often limited for Medicare beneficiaries, and none could be secured. I pressed to ascertain whether cost was his sole concern, or if there was another unspoken reason for his resistance to proceed with treatment. There was not; his decision was purely due to cost."

There have been many significant advances in cancer research in recent years including a greater understanding of the biologic side of the disease. The research and FDA approvals can take over a decade to complete. Companies are then offered patent protection for 17 years (or something close to that as my chemo brain fails to recall the exact number) to protect their pricing from competition. Costs in research have escalated creating high drug costs. Other contributing factors are:

The ensuing problem is that costs are high for the patients, insurance companies have high copayments for new non-generic/non-preferred medications. There is a switch to oral treatments which are covered by pharmacy benefits. A chemotherapy infusion may be covered by a $50 copay but an oral chemo in pill form might have a several thousand dollar copay.  Its easier on the patient than going to the hospital but much tougher on their wallet. But research has helped saved many lives. There are more gains visible in the coming years as well but at what price?

"These gains have not come without a price. Research and development is expensive. Patients who survive longer under active therapy generally receive more intense overall treatment; this includes not just the therapy itself but also the radiographic and laboratory surveillance necessary to monitor ongoing treatment response and toxicity. While we strive for the development of more effective, less toxic therapies, this progress may be transforming into a painful paradox: the more we advance scientifically, the more constrained we become economically."

So how do we progress and allow advanced treatments, longer lives, and containable costs? That will be part of my next post.

[This is something new for me to have a series looking at a particular issue. As my personal cancer story becomes more of a maintenance factor and a new lifestyle with my other newer ailments, you may see more of these posts in series on differing topics but always ailment related.]