Cost for Chemo Therapy

shubhab83
shubhab83 Member Posts: 1
in Ovarian Cancer #1

Hello All

I am still recovering from the shock that my sister has been diagnosed with stage 1C ovarian cancer a week back. She noticed abdominal bloating and post CT scan was operated for the same. The onco surgeon found a 7 kg tumour on her left overy. There was a small rupture and the fluid inside it was flowing out so removed the overies with the uterus, omentum and appendix. Mow we have to start the chemo treatment as prescribed with carboplatin (platinum based drug) and Taxol 6 cycles of chemo. My family lived abroad and has no insurance in the united states. Would anyone be able to help me with getting an approximate cost for these chemo treatments with these drugs at MD Anderson. I did contact them and they told me they cant give me a cost till I get them there and have my sister evaluated. But the drawback is that it is expensive to get them to the united states and then realise that we cannot afford the treatment. Could some one please tell me the approxomate cost for this? Thank you all

Comments

  • Alexandra
    Alexandra Member Posts: 1,308
    #2
    Dear Shubhab83

    Sorry about your sister's diagnosis. She is lucky that her cancer was caught early (stage 1C) and she has a high chance of being cured.

    You have to get a quote directly from MD Anderson. There will be no standard price but they can probably give you a projected range of potential costs. If you are coming from outside the US and paying cash you would probably pay quite a bit less than someone living in the United States and paying via health insurance. For that reason any number you google or hear from someone other than MD Anderson will be meaningless.

    They will probably ask to see your sister's medical history, blood tests, CT scan, pathology report and other paperwork before they are able to quote. It is not just the cost of administering Taxol / Carboplatin; ask to include the cost of anti-emetics (nausea drugs), Benadryl and steroids given before chemo, blood tests incl. CA125, doctor's consulations, possibly power-port. Don't forget the cost of travel and lodging.

    People come all the time from all over the world to be treated there. I am sure that you are not the first one asking this question.

    Links below are: list of contacts at MD Anderson and FAQ for international patients. Keep trying till you get what you need.

    https://my.mdanderson.org/content/index.cfm?pld=000732C6-ABD3-1BE1-891A8302A07301D1

    https://my.mdanderson.org/faq/index.cfm?FAQType=0004E30C-782A-1E24-85B9808F49CFFEB6

     

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