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Colorectal Cancer Treatment Costs

Although eliminating cancer is the goal of every treatment regime, doing so without spending an exorbitant amount of money is a good corollary to the main objective. As colon cancer causes a fairly high number of cancer-related deaths, with an equally high price tag for advanced-stage treatment, forthright and proactivity in detecting early-state prostate cancer can result in savings of as much as $90,000 during the course of treatment.

  1. Colon Cancer

    • Understand the basic elements of colon cancer to provide yourself with the best chance of recognizing a potential problem, as detecting colon cancer early can drastically cut treatment costs. Colon cancer originates in the large intestine or rectum, and initially manifests itself with symptoms such as bloody or narrow stools, the presence of intestinal obstructions or polyps, or localized and inexplicable pain in the abdominal region. Furthermore, understand when you are at an undue risk of developing colon cancer, as this can allow you to be more proactive in your detection efforts. Risk factors include the presence of a family history of colon cancer, a preexisting digestive disease such as colitis or Crohn's, or a personal history of breast cancer. If you qualify under any of these categories, you might want to have yourself tested for colon cancer more regularly.

    Treatment Costs

    • Understand the general ballpark of treatment costs so that you can make suitable arrangements. According to the website eifoundation.org, the cost of treating early-stage colon cancer is roughly $30,000 per patient. Contrast this with the cost of treating late-stage colon cancer, which is a staggering $120,000 per patient. Throughout all of 2007, the total cost of treating individuals with colon cancer within the United States amounted to $8.3 billion. Although insurance normally covers a good portion of the bill (Medicare spends around $2.4 billion a year on colon cancer), a sizable portion is normally paid by the patient, making it crucial to lower your costs through employment of regular detection methods such as yearly colonoscopies. According to the statistics, early colonoscopy screening to detect pre-cancerous conditions could reduce the prevalence rate of colon cancer from 60 cases for every 1,000 people to a scant 12 in 1,000.

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