Cancer drugs cheaper, but where?

Hyderabad: The cost of cancer drugs like trastuzumab and temozolomide, used to treat breast and brain cancer, was slashed by 54 per cent by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, but this is not reflected in the market as they are only sold at hospital pharmacies.

The new treatment of immunotherapy or biological therapy which have shown good results is proving to be very expensive and are not available in the open market. A senior pharmacist on condition of anonymity said, “The hospitals have a monopoly and insist that all the medicines have to be bought from their pharmacy. Patients do not have a chance to compare the cost of the medicines in the market outside.”

Like in the case of chemotherapy and radiation in government hospitals, it would cost less than Rs 5,000 for conventional treatment and the latest technology of IMRT costs Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000. In private hospitals, IMRT costs Rs 70,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

Newer treatment methods like immunotherapy cost between Rs 60,000 and Rs 80,000 per month depending on the stage of the cancer for the patient.

Dr Sai Ram, a senior government oncologist, said, “While the prices of a few drugs have been slashed by the government, the overall expenditure continues to be high. There has to be proper regulation at all levels where the treatment is made affordable.”

With early screening and detection being the motto for fighting cancer, the treatment costs are often the prime reasons for the patient’s resistance and they come back at later stages where the disease is very advanced.

A senior oncologist from a private hospital said, “It is often the high end costs which scare away most patients as they are not sure how they will be able to pay. Most of them are opting for cancer insurance policies and also specialised care packages in their mid-level careers so that they can be prepared to deal with the eventuality.”