Home 
News... Healthcare News Cancer Treatment Cost Concerns
News... Healthcare News Cancer Treatment Cost Concerns | Cancer Treatment Cost Concerns |
|
|
| News - Healthcare News | |
Cancer patients will pay for treatment in the future due to rising care costs People will soon be forced to pay for their own cancer care as the NHS will be unable to cope with the increasing cost, said cancer specialist Dr Karol Sikora.Speaking at the COVER Protection Forum, Dr Sikora, professor of cancer medicine and honorary consultant oncologist at Hammersmith Hospital, said that in the future everyone will be paying for innovation in cancer care as there is no other feasible solution. He said the US is currently spending twice as much as the UK is on healthcare and added the UK will have to follow suit. "Technology will get better, but healthcare will cost more over time as it will deal with the pursuit for prevention, screening, diagnosis, surgery, radiotherapy, drugs and supportive care. "Looking ahead to cancer therapy in 2026, radiotherapy will become more expensive due to technology. The problem with cancer is that it spreads and targeted therapies such as Herceptin are extremely expensive," Dr Sikora said. He added that the media did not acknowledge the real cost of new cancer treatment. He said: "The mainstream press underestimates the true cost of drugs. The price of Herceptin is shown as £24,000 but is actually closer to £60,000." Another problem is that not only are these drugs expensive but they are not always that effective, he said. He believes this will result in a financial crisis. Dr Sikora concluded: "Maybe cancer patients will start to monitor themselves but who is going to pay? If people aren't going to self-pay, then they will rely on insurance." Credit : COVER Magazine: October Issue Cancer drug success forces changeNew treatments for cancer are increasingly successful in managing the disease on a long-term basis but, with these treatments becoming ever more expensive, the NHS and medical insurers are having to assess how they will provide access to them.Gary Bolger, head of medical policy at AXA PPP healthcare said that it is uncertain how the NHS will secure funding not only for the cancer treatments that have already been licensed but also for those that look likely to gain their licences in the coming years. He also acknowledged that the cost of these new treatments will have a long-term impact on pricing, which could force a cover rethink. 'Insurers will need to offer a clear range of cover that enables customers to choose plans that meet their needs - and budgets - for cancer care cover,' he said. Credit: Cover Magazine, September 2006 |
|
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
