Cancer Drugs - Cause for Alarm
Dr Mercola has just notified me of some interesting reading in USA Today. We already know that traditional cancer medications are incredibly expensive, but perhaps these recent articles from USA today might bring the point home to some of the many remaining believers in conventional treatments.
Let’s face it, medication costs of up to $10,000 per month (Erbitux) are no small change, and now the insurance companies are sounding alarm bells. It looks like the cost of a typical cancer drug prescription rose almost 16% last year, compared with 3% for other prescriptions. The average cost of a 1-month prescription for cancer drugs is now nearly $1,600. And this isn’t including drugs such as Avastin (typical cost $4,400 a month), which can be given at a doctor's office.
Avastin is a newer drug used to treat colorectal cancer and that costs about $50,000 a year. If it is approved to treat lung and breast cancers, that cost could easily double to around $100,000 a year. And let’s face it, rising costs of treating cancer affect almost everybody, simply because most cancer patients are covered by government insurance schemes.
And if truth be known, most new cancer drugs will improve survival by only a few weeks or months. For example, although Erbitux costs almost $10,000 a month, studies have failed to show that it helps patients live longer.
In addition, many of the new cancer drugs work only when combined with chemotherapy. So adding drugs such as Erbitux and Avastin to existing therapies serves not only to increase costs but also side effects. What is more, patients today still don't live significantly longer on many of the new medications. For example, survival of patients with advanced colon cancer has increased from one year to about two years over the past decade. Of course, the patients themselves might well disagree about the significance of this! Yet in the cold light of reality, in terms of the investment made, the return looks somewhat poor.
So what am I trying to say here? That’s right – much more effort ought to be placed in getting details of some of the highly effective alternative cancer treatments out to physicians, hospitals and the public at large. I think that perhaps many insurance companies might now agree.
You can read the full stories here:
USA Today - 07/10/2006
USA Today - 07/11/2006
And here’s what Dr Mercola has to say about it:
Exploiting Cancer Patients With $10,000-a-Month Drugs
Let’s face it, medication costs of up to $10,000 per month (Erbitux) are no small change, and now the insurance companies are sounding alarm bells. It looks like the cost of a typical cancer drug prescription rose almost 16% last year, compared with 3% for other prescriptions. The average cost of a 1-month prescription for cancer drugs is now nearly $1,600. And this isn’t including drugs such as Avastin (typical cost $4,400 a month), which can be given at a doctor's office.
Avastin is a newer drug used to treat colorectal cancer and that costs about $50,000 a year. If it is approved to treat lung and breast cancers, that cost could easily double to around $100,000 a year. And let’s face it, rising costs of treating cancer affect almost everybody, simply because most cancer patients are covered by government insurance schemes.
And if truth be known, most new cancer drugs will improve survival by only a few weeks or months. For example, although Erbitux costs almost $10,000 a month, studies have failed to show that it helps patients live longer.
In addition, many of the new cancer drugs work only when combined with chemotherapy. So adding drugs such as Erbitux and Avastin to existing therapies serves not only to increase costs but also side effects. What is more, patients today still don't live significantly longer on many of the new medications. For example, survival of patients with advanced colon cancer has increased from one year to about two years over the past decade. Of course, the patients themselves might well disagree about the significance of this! Yet in the cold light of reality, in terms of the investment made, the return looks somewhat poor.
So what am I trying to say here? That’s right – much more effort ought to be placed in getting details of some of the highly effective alternative cancer treatments out to physicians, hospitals and the public at large. I think that perhaps many insurance companies might now agree.
You can read the full stories here:
USA Today - 07/10/2006
USA Today - 07/11/2006
And here’s what Dr Mercola has to say about it:
Exploiting Cancer Patients With $10,000-a-Month Drugs
posted by Dr Bianca Tavares at 8:33 AM
8 Comments:
I agree with you that conventional drugs are really expensive. I am on the brink to say that some conventional drugs are actually "garbage". Really, I don't want to say bad things about conventional medicine, but sometimes it seems that drug compagnies are after money more then cancer patient care in general.
I am hosting a website, don't know if you are interested. See my website:
http://www.treat-cancer.nl/
That's true.I'm thinking of these words "Cancer are business or illness"
Thought you might be interested to know that with stage 4 lung cancer, my Mom did a 4 month round of experimental chemo then went on to 4 monthly Avastin injections which just made her sicker every month. She gave up on it. Then she started taking Jiva's Curcumin and Fermented Soy supplements.
After a few weeks she was out playing golf again. This was 5 months ago. She seems stronger every day and will not ever go back to chemo. There's 100s of clinical studies done on this that are available here: alternative cancer treatment.
I read an article here: http://liquidzeoliteplus.com
that says that all doctors who discover non drug cures for cancer are financially ruined, jailed, and some even killed. Outrageous!
It looks like the cost of a typical cancer drug prescription rose almost 16% last year, compared with 3% for other prescriptions. This tropical drug is recommended by most of the dermatologists.
moist wipes
I've seen cancer patients that became worse after chemotherapy. It's no wonder that many patients would rather go for alternative cancer treatments.
Wow people should definitely know more about the various cancer treating drugs that they are placing in their bodies. People should really try out effective medicine or risk wasting money on useless drugs.
Urinary Incontinence
Hi,
I have a quick question about your blog, would you mind emailing me when you get a chance?
Thanks,
Cameron
cameronvsj(at)gmail.com
Post a Comment
<< Home