You’ve just been diagnosed with cancer, and the doctor is discussing treatment options. Should the cost be a deciding factor? Chemotherapy costs are rising so dramatically that later this year, oncologists will get their first guidelines on how to have a straight talk with patients about the affordability of treatment choices, a topic too often sidestepped.
Cancer is the #2 killer in the United States today. While deaths are declining, cancer cases are increasing. More importantly, cancer costs are rising at an exponential rate. Having enough financial resources is the single most important factor when diagnosed with cancer because it enables you to have the proper treatment that will hopefully lead to successfully beating, and ultimately recovering from cancer.
For many people today, staying healthy is a very necessary and yet a highly expensive option. The downturn in the global economy and the rising fuel rates have pushed food prices and even medical fees through the roof. Even the common cold medicine today may cost more than what the general public can afford. Over and beyond that, the cost of treatment for major illnesses like diabetes, cancer and even hypertension remains elusive, even to the middle class of society, and much more for those within the lower income categories.
