"New Medicare rules for a small but promising class of cancer drugs may cause thousands of lymphoma patients to lose access to the treatment, which in some cases is the only therapy available to them.
The drugs’ makers and patient advocacy groups say the changes will sharply cut reimbursement for the medicines next year, and they predict that many hospitals will stop offering the treatments. The Medicare changes come just as new data provides additional evidence that the medicines, called Bexxar and Zevalin, are effective.
The drugs are given to treat non-Hodgkins lymphoma, the fifth-most-common cancer, and are usually prescribed for patients who have not responded to other therapies and who have few remaining treatment options. Clinical trial data show that they put the disease into remission for years in many of those patients.
Doctors, lymphoma patients and advocacy groups say they do not understand Medicare’s decision. About 60,000 people are diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma every year, and 20,000 people die of the disease.Lymphoma patients, meanwhile, are anxiously watching the fight between Medicare and the companies.
Lora Beckwith, 66, first learned she had the disease in 2004. So far, her illness has progressed slowly, but last month, she was told that she would probably need treatment by February.
Because Ms. Beckwith, who lives in Ann Arbor, Mich., has Parkinson's disease, she cannot receive standard chemotherapy for the disease, making Bexxar and Zevalin among her only alternatives. Now she fears she may not be able to get them.
“I’m not usually a vengeful or resentful person. But I am feeling a bit resentful about having this taken away — if I can’t have access to a drug that would extend my life.”
WTF does Bush care? He just wants WAR MONEY!That's why these payments are being cut!
Because EVERY PENNY is going to PAY FOR THE WARS!!!!!!
And lady, I wasn't vengeful or resentful until Bush lied us into war!
None of us were -- until now!
