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Targeted Drug Side Effects Add to Cancer Costs
The average cost of treating each cancer patient who came into a dermatology clinic with skin, hair and nail complaints was almost $2,000, researchers reported this week. That included expenses related to doctors' appointments, dermatology medications and lab tests.
Some patients with skin problems may have to delay or alter their treatment regimen if side effects are too severe, researchers said.
"Dermatologic side effects including skin irritation and dry skin are the two topmost concerns that patients have that they did not expect during therapy," said Dr. Mario Lacouture from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Center Center in New York, who worked on the study.
"They were prepared to get hair loss, they were prepared to get some nausea and diarrhea, but they weren't expecting to get all these skin issues," he told Reuters Health.
Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/21/us-targeted-drug-side-effects-idUSTRE7BK25020111221
Source: Reuters
Varied Access: The Pharmacogenetic Testing Coverage Divide
February 18th 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the author of a study published in the February 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® to uncover significant differences in coverage decisions for pharmacogenetic tests across major US health insurers.
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