The costs of treating malignant mesothelioma are extremely high; estimates range from $150,000 to over $ 1 million. The most commonly used anti-cancer drugs used to treat malignant mesothelioma are AlimtaÒ and cisplatin. The combined cost of these drugs for one treatment cycle is approximately $4,100; multiple treatment cycles may be required, and a cure is not assured. In fact, even with aggressive treatment, the median survival of a patient after diagnosis with malignant mesothelioma is between one and two years.
Some mesothelioma treatment costs may be covered by health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. However, many people may not have health insurance or be eligible for Medicaid or Medicare. Information on sources of financial assistance can be obtained from the social services units of hospitals, the Cancer Information Network and the American Cancer Society.
When occupational exposure to asbestos can be proven, patients with malignant mesothelioma may be able to seek damages from former employers through lawsuits. While there is a current cap of $1.1 million on the total amount that can be awarded to a single individual in a mesothelioma lawsuit, this cap is considered insufficient by some mesothelioma treatment advocates. They say that better diagnostic tests, combined with the availability of more effective treatment, means more people with malignant mesothelioma are diagnosed at a younger age and live longer. Increased survival is associated with increased treatment costs.
Some novel mesothelioma treatment options are being investigated in clinical trials. These include more affordable options such as immunotherapy, or expensive options such as gene therapy. In gene therapy, specific materials injected into the patient attack the genes in cancer cells, ultimately killing them. A single session of gene therapy may cost between $150,000 and $950,000. Clinical trials may cover some costs of treatment. However, certain trials only enroll people who have been recently diagnosed and who have not begun any other type of treatment.
Related Articles of Interest :
-
Mesothelioma Treatment: What You Should Know
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
There are certain factors that influence the type of treatment a patient with malignant mesothelioma may undergo. These include the type of cancer, the location of the cancer, the stage or extent to which it has spread at diagnosis, whether the cancer can be removed...
-
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment Costs
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that attacks the lining of the abdomen, enveloping many of the organs in the abdomen by a thin membrane of mesothelial cells, known as the peritoneum. It is caused due to exposure to asbestos. This tumor as a...
-
Mesothelioma Treatment Costs: A Guide
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Mesothelioma is a deadly form cancer developed through exposure to asbestos. Treatment for mesothelioma depends on various factors, such as where the cancer is located, the actual stage of the disease, the patient’s age, and the patient’s general health. Generally, mesothelioma treatment is considered to...
-
Mesothelioma Treatment Costs: What You Should Know
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Mesothelioma is a cancerous affliction. It is primarily of three types, pleural, peritoneal and pericardial. Like every form of malignant cancer, the overall cost of its treatment may be huge. A person may be required to spend thousands of dollars each month. The cost of...
-
Radical Mesothelioma Treatment
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
The challenge posed by mesothelioma is very high and doctors and researchers are on the look out for new options of treatment. Radical mesothelioma treatments, also referred as experimental treatment, are new advancements in the treatment of mesothelioma. Sometimes it is used along with traditional...
-
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a dreadful and life-threatening cancer, caused by continuous and long exposure to asbestos. It is a tumor that affects the lining of the abdomen that protects the contents of the abdomen and provides a lubricating fluid to enable the organs to move...
-
An Introduction To Mesothelioma Treatment
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Conventional therapies are of little use in Mesothelioma Treatment. The survival time after diagnosis is around 6 to 12 months. The spread of malignant cells to the underlying tissue and other organs in the pleural cavity, the pleural cavity encouraging local metastasis by exfoliated cells,...
-
Mesothelioma Treatment Forums
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Mesothelioma is the term used for a cancerous tumor, which involves the mesothelioma cells of lungs, heart or abdominal organs. Medical specialists in mesothelioma provide treatment to the patients after assessing the stage of the mesothelioma in their specific case. They analyze the location of...
-
Mesothelioma Treatment Websites
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Mesothelioma is an unusual form of cancer of the mesothelial cells that line the lungs, heart and the stomach. In recent times, in the U.S, there has been an alarming rise in the occurrence of mesothelioma cases mainly caused by a mineral called asbestos. Mesothelioma...
-
Alternative Mesothelioma Treatment
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
People are on the lookout for alternative mesothelioma treatment due to the complex nature and deadliness of mesothelioma. Not only patients, but researchers and doctors are trying to find out new ways to treat mesothelioma. ‘Alternative’ refers to the use of different methods from the...