The Fleecing of America

Everyone needs to read this article.

In a time when everyone agrees the rise of heath care costs are unsustainable --

it seems like a good time to look at what we are getting for the outrageous price tag.  With respect to cancer, it turns out, not much.

It seems ethical to call this what it is -- the fleecing of our family, friends, neighbors, and countryman when they are at their most vulnerable.  Without questioning anyone’s motives or intentions, the outcome is irrefutable -- we, as a country, spend more on oncological drugs than any other class, and get very little for it.

The article site examples of, “the shocking disparity between value and price.”

Dr. Fojo cites multiple examples of cancer drugs with high costs and marginal benefits, including bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) for metastatic breast cancer (provides progression-free survival improvement but no increase in overall survival; estimated total cost of therapy, $90,816).

Most metabolic therapies are dietary changes or small molecules that are very cheap, and have the potential to treat the majority of cancer types – a win, win for health care.