Cancer doctors release tool to measure value of drugs

A leading group of cancer doctors on Monday released a framework for helping patients weigh the cost and benefits of cancer drugs, amid concern over rising drug prices. 

{mosads}The framework from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) presents patients with a “Net Health Benefit” score that rates the added benefit a patient can expect from a treatment, factoring in the side effects. That score, which uses data from clinical trials, is then presented next to the out-of-pocket cost to patients of the drug, allowing for comparing the price and the expected benefit. 

“Value and cost are among the biggest issues in healthcare today, but there are few tools to help doctors and patients objectively assess benefits, side effects and costs,” ASCO President Julie Vose said in a statement. “Our goal is to help oncologists and their patients weigh potential treatment options based on high-quality scientific evidence and a thoughtful assessment of each patient’s needs and goals. “

ASCO notes that cancer care is one of the fastest-growing areas of health spending in the U.S., with spending expected to increase from $125 billion in 2010 to $158 billion in 2020. 

Newly-approved cancer drugs, it notes, now cost an average of $10,000 a month, with some costing more than $30,000 a month. Even for people with insurance, costs can be high, due to deductibles, co-payments and other out-of-pocket costs. 

“Cancer patients are increasingly burdened by the rising costs of care,” Lowell Schnipper, an ASCO doctor, said in a statement. “Even well-insured patients are often unprepared for the high out-of-pocket cost of some cancer therapies. Too often, that leads to severe financial strain and even bankruptcy.”

Health insurers, who have to pick up much of the tab, have been warning about the rising cost of drugs overall. A report this month found that ten new drugs are expected to cost the government $50 billion over ten years.