Stem cell transplants can be effective, but expensive
Experts say stem cell transplants are growing as an effective last resort for cancer treatments, but their affordability may be out of reach for some.
Tara Guevara-Stover, 28, of Vestal, needs the transplant to save her life, but the high costs of new treatments and medications will put her deep in debt.
"I have a lot of bills that are due because I can't pay everything," Guevara-Stover said.
When she was diagnosed with cancer in 2004, she was five months pregnant, and her biggest concern was her child.
Her son, Joey, wasn't affected by the chemotherapy she received before his birth, but her cancer has gotten worse and warrants a stem cell transplant. Now one of her major concerns is money.
Guevara-Stover must pay to find a donor for a stem cell transplant.
According to the National Cancer Institute, only about a third of patients will find a match in their family, but 50 percent find non-related donors, usually through the National Marrow Donor Project. Doctors use the registry to find matches, but there's a cost between $200 and $300 per donor because of blood tests.
Dr. Joseph Readling of Broome Oncology said stem cell transplants are used for treating leukemia and lymphoma, and have a one-year survival rate between 40 and 50 percent nationwide, though results vary depending on the type of cancer and various risk factors, such as age or health.
Dave Born, 53, of Spencer, said the bill for his treatment at the Nebraska Medical Center was well over $200,000. Born said the bill was lower than it could have been had the insurance company not contracted with the hospital for a lower rate; plus, his wife took on minor nursing duties, among other things.
Born had a transplant at the Nebraska Medical Center in 2003 at the suggestion of his insurance company, which covered the entire procedure and living expenses.
Guevara-Stover's insurance will cover only 85 percent of the procedure and does not cover the cost of finding a donor. She has contacted the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for help with the bills, though she said the organization can provide only limited assistance.
"It shouldn't be that way for life-saving techniques," she said.
Stem cells are used to reconstitute the immune systems of patients by eliminating cancer-producing cells and adding healthy cells that will kill tumors. The cells come from three sources: patients' own bone marrow, bone marrow from donors or placentas.
Tara Guevara-Stover, 28, of Vestal, needs the transplant to save her life, but the high costs of new treatments and medications will put her deep in debt.
"I have a lot of bills that are due because I can't pay everything," Guevara-Stover said.
When she was diagnosed with cancer in 2004, she was five months pregnant, and her biggest concern was her child.
Her son, Joey, wasn't affected by the chemotherapy she received before his birth, but her cancer has gotten worse and warrants a stem cell transplant. Now one of her major concerns is money.
Guevara-Stover must pay to find a donor for a stem cell transplant.
According to the National Cancer Institute, only about a third of patients will find a match in their family, but 50 percent find non-related donors, usually through the National Marrow Donor Project. Doctors use the registry to find matches, but there's a cost between $200 and $300 per donor because of blood tests.
Dr. Joseph Readling of Broome Oncology said stem cell transplants are used for treating leukemia and lymphoma, and have a one-year survival rate between 40 and 50 percent nationwide, though results vary depending on the type of cancer and various risk factors, such as age or health.
Dave Born, 53, of Spencer, said the bill for his treatment at the Nebraska Medical Center was well over $200,000. Born said the bill was lower than it could have been had the insurance company not contracted with the hospital for a lower rate; plus, his wife took on minor nursing duties, among other things.
Born had a transplant at the Nebraska Medical Center in 2003 at the suggestion of his insurance company, which covered the entire procedure and living expenses.
Guevara-Stover's insurance will cover only 85 percent of the procedure and does not cover the cost of finding a donor. She has contacted the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for help with the bills, though she said the organization can provide only limited assistance.
"It shouldn't be that way for life-saving techniques," she said.
Stem cells are used to reconstitute the immune systems of patients by eliminating cancer-producing cells and adding healthy cells that will kill tumors. The cells come from three sources: patients' own bone marrow, bone marrow from donors or placentas.
posted by TM at 7:44 AM
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