caruso149caruso
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Caruso149caruso wrote:My husband had the spheres treatment in July 2007 after having been diagnosed in December 2006. He has Aetna insurance. One of the criteria for them to pay was that he had to have a prognosis of one year to live or less. The cost is $100,000 dollars. They approved the treatment. Since then there has been no new growth of the tumor which was six inches across. He takes a chemo pill. No IV chemo. He does get Avastin IV every three weeks at Duke University Medical Center. Aetna initially did not want to pay for it. He works for a big company that donates lots of money to medical centers and research. Unfortunately a lot of people don’t have access to this treatment because of the cost and that is unfair. At the present time he is stable . He has no pain. His main problem seems to be constipation. Occasionally his voice gets hoarse but he is on the phone a lot at work. He still goes to work and occasionally travels. He has had one episode of ascites and was hospitalized four days while being treated. That was in September 2007. There have been no further episodes. Good luck to all. Annie
My husband had the spheres treatment in July 2007 after having been diagnosed in December 2006. He has Aetna insurance. One of the criteria for them to pay was that he had to have a prognosis of one year to live or less. The cost is $100,000 dollars. They approved the treatment. Since then there has been no new growth of the tumor which was six inches across. He takes a chemo pill. No IV chemo. He does get Avastin IV every three weeks at Duke University Medical Center. Aetna initially did not want to pay for it. He works for a big company that donates lots of money to medical centers and research. Unfortunately a lot of people don’t have access to this treatment because of the cost and that is unfair. At the present time he is stable . He has no pain. His main problem seems to be constipation. Occasionally his voice gets hoarse but he is on the phone a lot at work. He still goes to work and occasionally travels. He has had one episode of ascites and was hospitalized four days while being treated. That was in September 2007. There have been no further episodes. Good luck to all. Annie
Hi, this is Annie at Caruso149caruso. We were just denied Avastin by Aetna. First because Duke didn’t write in the correct code. then they said it wasn’t indicated for my husband’s type of cancer. We have had Aetna for 15 years and had not had a problem. Now they see what the bills are going to be. Not only are they denieing Avastin but they have just denied speech therapy for our son which they have been paying since last September. I don’t understand.
Hello, my name is Annie from North Carolina. My husband Frank was diagnosed in December 2006. His tumor is over 6 inches in diameter covering the right lobe and part of the left. He had a pump implanted in his left upper abdomen which is connected to an artery in his liver. It is filled with Gemcitabine every two weeks and slowly dispenses all of it over the next two weeks. Then it is filled with normal saline which slowly dispenses over the next two weeks. It is alternated to prevent scarring of the bile ducts. He also has a Power Port implanted in his right front shoulder in which he gets oxciliplatin and one of the 5FU drugs every two weeks. Today was his third treatment. So far the side effects have been very mild. We are also looking at alternitive treatments. Has anyone heard of maitake mushrooms? He is also taking a chemo drug called Tarciva by mouth. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Annie C.
