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16 August 2006
Hidden Costs Of Breast Cancer Chemo Revealed 
Breast cancer chemotherapy may have a greater number of serious adverse effects than those that are reported, and documented, in clinical trials. And the effects from chemo appear to be worse for women under 60, said researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. Reporting in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the researchers studied a database of medical claims made by women with newly diagnosed breast cancer who had employer-provided health insurance. "This is the first study, to our knowledge, of chemotherapy-related serious adverse effects in a population-based sample of younger women with breast cancer," said study leader, Harvard's Michael J.Hassett. "We found that eight chemotherapy-related serious adverse effects may be more common than reported in large clinical trials, and, therefore, these adverse effects may be responsible for more patient suffering and higher health care expenditures than currently predicted." In addition to chemotherapy-related hospitalizations for adverse effects such as infections, low platelet counts, nausea, diarrhea, malnutrition and dehydration; women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer also suffered increased healthcare costs: $1,271 more per year for hospitalizations and emergency room visits and $17,617 more per year for ambulatory care than women who did not receive chemotherapy. The new study may prompt a review of treatment options in some cases as doctors often prescribe chemotherapy to eliminate residual cancer cells in women who have already undergone surgery for breast cancer. Source: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
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