Ovarian cancer, a risk for women who have used talcum powder daily in the genital-perineal area, is not cheap to treat. Health care for serious diseases these days is beyond the average person’s financial reach, especially if they do not have good or even adequate insurance. With ovarian cancer, the total costs of treatment can easily extend into six figures.
Calculating the costs of medical therapy is standard for suits that include compensation for medical bills. First, let’s look at what’s involved when it comes to treatment for ovarian cancer.
You Have Ovarian Cancer. Now What?
Whether or not you are involved in a court case, you and your loved ones’ biggest concern is to get well. Right behind that is the worry of how much everything will cost. It’s difficult to estimate how much one person’s treatment can be. For one thing, insurance policies vary widely; for another, treatments can differ, depending on the type of cancer and the cancer’s stage. Therefore, we are providing you with general cost estimates for the most common treatments when it comes to ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer treatment almost always includes surgery and some form of chemotherapy:
- Surgery might include the removal of one or both ovaries and Fallopian tubes. Depending on the status of the cancer, surgery could also include a partial or complete hysterectomy, the removal of lymph nodes, and other tissue. Costs for surgery can run from $20,000 to beyond $40,000.
- Chemotherapy is fairly standard and usually consists of a combination of drugs, mainly a platinum drug and a taxane. Examples are carboplatin or cisplatin (platinum), and paclitaxel or docetaxel (taxane). Between three and six cycles of chemo are usually given, with a cost per cycle of $6,000 to $16,000. The drug Neulasta is also often required to decrease the chances of infection; it costs $10,000 or more per injection. Total chemotherapy costs have been reported at $100,000 or more per year.
Radiation treatment is much less commonly used. For that reason, we are not including average costs here. Nor are we including costs for physical rehabilitation, which can be required in some cases and can vary widely. But it is estimated that the total costs of surgery, chemo, and other treatments for ovarian cancer can easily top $200,000. Remember that you will need regular follow-up doctors’ visits, lab tests, and screenings, which will cost additional dollars.
In a Kentucky study, the average cost of treating advanced ovarian cancer amounted to over $210,000. Hospital charges were over $127,000; pharmacy charges added up to nearly $60,000; and doctors’ fees exceeded $25,000.
Where Can Help Be Found?
Low-income or underinsured residents of some states can obtain help through special programs to pay for their cancer treatment. Delaware and Georgia have significant reimbursement programs; South Carolina’s help is listed here.
If you are uninsured, look up which medical centers and hospitals treat uninsured cancer patients, to find your safety net. Don’t forget to call your local health department to find out more about free or low-cost public health services. Ask your local hospital about any programs that cover “charity care” or “indigent care.” The National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service (1-800-4-CANCER) can also provide information about local programs.
If you are on Medicare, you may need to pay up to 20% of your hospital costs, depending on whether you have any form of supplemental (gap) insurance or a Medicare Advantage plan.
One last point: We realize all of this feels like a further indignity on top of dealing with ovarian cancer. Money, of course, does not begin to measure the costs of ovarian cancer to families in terms of heartache, disruption, pain, and so forth. If you have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and you have a history of daily usage of talcum powder, you might want to seek an opinion on your legal options.
Seeking truth. Securing justice.
Filing a talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuit is the only means that consumers have to hold talcum powder producers responsible for the harm they have caused. Most states have talc powder lawsuit time limitations. However, the majority of all persons who have developed ovarian cancer that is linked to talcum powder usage will fall within the standard time limitations if they contact a personal injury attorney quickly. You may be able to file a lawsuit for compensation for past and future medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and funeral expenses.
At the The Louthian Firm Accident & Injury Lawyers, we will listen to your individual circumstances and analyze the merits of your case absolutely free of charge. We work on a contingency basis, so you will pay no fees until we recover compensation for your injuries. Call us at 1-803-592-6231 or use our convenient online contact form to get started. From the moment of our first contact, we’ll be listening hard and working harder to see that justice prevails.
