Breast Cancer ? A Battle on Two Fronts ? Article Directory

You have recently been diagnosed with cancer ? prostate cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer, or any other kind. Many of these once fatal diseases are now easily treatable, your doctor says. You are insured, and over the moon. You will have to take pill for the rest of your life, but your tumor was removed, and hasn?t come back! This seems like the best possible outcome. But is it?

Yes, you are alive. Things could not be any better. What many patients don?t realize however, is just how expensive cancer medications are. And they need to be taken everyday?for months, years, and in some cases, forever. There are many different types of breast cancer medications, some made for general tumors and other, newer medications are targeting genes in specific tumors. The technology and science these medications are using to keep you alive are incredible. They have far fewer side effects, and provide a much better quality of life than chemotherapies from the past.

Unfortunately, these new drugs can cost up to $100,000 per year. Sympathetic doctors are worried that these new medications are out of reach for the common man. The newest prostate cancer drug, Zytiga, is costing patients a minimum of $6,000 for a one-month supply. Even with insurance, many patients are having to pay thousands of dollars in co-payments for both new and old medications. Many patients are asking how they can afford it, and for how long. Many breast cancer survivors have already taken leaves from work, or quit altogether. All of the financial stability is on their spouse. Where does it end?

Judging by the market right now, it will never end. With the numbers of survivors getting higher each year, (a positive!) cancer survivors and patients are having to get creative with their finances. One option is to buy online. Many cancer medications, including Avastin, which recently had its approval for use in breast cancer rescinded, can be bought online. Canadian pharmacies such as Big Mountain Drugs and Canada Drugs Online are physical pharmacies located in Canada who decided to open an online division. They can offer their customers significantly lower pricing. In Canada, the government regulates medication pricing, in order to maintain Canada?s universal health care. Many American cancer patients are taking advantage of this by ordering their prescriptions online.

Another option to keep costs down is to choose generic. A generic alternative is available for many cancer medications, including generic Arimidex, generic Femara and generic Gleevec. Generic medications are chemically and therapeutically the same as their brand name counterparts. They are offered at significantly lower prices, as their overhead costs are lower than big pharmaceutical companies. Next time your oncologist writes you a prescription, ask them about its generic alternative. You may be able to save hundreds of dollars on your cancer medications.

Author:

Julia Mulline is a medical writer based out of Vancouver, BC, Canada. She recommends Canada Drugs Online, a Canadian online pharmacy to buy Colcrys and buy Celebrex.

Source: http://www.article-directory.seo-mart.com/health-care/breast-cancer-a-battle-on-two-fronts/

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