Increase in cost of Herceptin????

Just wondering if anyone else noticed a price increase in theiri Herceptin lately...mine has been running 6800.00 per treatment for the herceptin, not including IV, administration, treatment...since January the Herceptin alone is now11885.00 per treatment....is this just in Illinois? Makes
me wonder if I will max out my BCBS insurance? At the new price I should feel like a milion bucks!...but I dont
Hugsl

Sheila

Wow! That's pricey stuff! Anyone know whether Medicare pays for Herceptin? I suppose only in advanced stages?

[Lolly]

My friend is on Medicare and receiving Herceptin for Stage 4; I don't know if they will pay for earlier stage.

[Lolly]

My friend is on Medicare and receiving Herceptin for Stage 4; I don't know if they will pay for earlier stage.

On the EOB from my health insurance for my oncologist's bill the Herceptin is $1,480, the Taxol is $928 and the Carboplatin is $788. Those are the drug costs. The total weekly visit is around $4,400. How much Herceptin are you getting???

I am getting these meds neo-adjuvant -- surgery is March 4. Then I will have another three months of these same drugs weekly.

Val

Val
I get 360 mg every 3 weeks

Wow -- that explains it -- I only get 10 mg each week. I am so curious about this dosage difference. I have no evidence of mets and I am neo-adjuvant, but that still seems like a huge difference. Can anyone explain this? I will ask my onc, but before then I'd love to hear what you guys think.

Val

[Lolly]

I'm on weekly dosage, and I get 160 mg. When I was getting it every 3 weeks, it was 480 mg. Val, are you sure your dosage isn't 10 mg for each kg of body weight? Sometimes that's how the orders are written out. A kilogram is equal to 2.2 lbs, and here's a link to a conversion page:

http://www.metric-conversions.org/weight/k...s-to-pounds.htm

Love, Lolly

[Lolly]

OK, here's more info:

"...Herceptin has been tested in the first line treatment of metastatic breast cancer in patients who were unsuitable for or who declined chemotherapy. Vogel et al. performed a randomised phase II study comparing two different dose schedules of herceptin [8]. A total of 114 HER-2-positive patients were randomised to receive herceptin at standard doses (4 mg/kg loading dose followed by 2 mg/kg weekly) or high dose (8 mg/kg loading dose followed by 4 mg/kg weekly)..."

If 2 mg per kg of body weight is the standard weekly dose, divide your weight by 2.2, and multiply that figure by 2. That will tell you how much you are or should be getting. I guess 10 mg/kg of body weight would be a bit much, he he. But seriously, Val, check with your nurse next time you go in and ask what you're getting. They always mark the amount on my bag, so I know. BTW, my most recent statement shows my weekly dose being billed at $1,504. When I was getting the 3 weekly dose, it was around $4,500.

Love, Lolly

Is your calculation for body weight in kg? My 10 mg dose is stated on my bill and my EOB.
I weigh about 113 on the doctor's scale. But does it matter that I have no mets and that I am getting it neo-adjuvant?

And even at this low dose, it has worked wonders on my tumor.

I definitely need to ask my doc about this!

Val

[Lolly]

Val, 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds, so your weight in kilograms would be 51.36.
According to the recommended weekly dose of 2 mg Herceptin for each kg body weight you should be receiving appx. 103 mg. Herceptin. Perhaps the dose IS calculated differently for your situation; no mets, neo-adjuvant. The main thing is it has worked for you, but it'll be interesting to find out what dose you're getting. Keep me posted!

Love, Lolly

Silly me...I was relying on the info on my statement -- I am getting 100 mg....

[Marilyn]

I get treatments every 3 weeks and the price for Herceptin for me has more than doubled. I'm about the same price as you Sheila. What gives? Does anybody know why the price skyrocketed?

[sassy]

Hey Marilyn,

The posts in this thread were actually from several years ago, so the information is probably not valid.

You may want to start a new thread concerning the price of Herceptin, or asking about increase in cost. The information would be more up to date and the replies more valid.

Regards,

[Brenda_D]

Well this is crazy that different oncology centers are charging such a big range for herceptin. Even though the first post is from 2005, what they were charging Sheila was many times what I was charged in 2007 and 8. Mine was $3745 every 3 weeks, and I thought that was horrendous.

That's one thing that needs to brought under a standard.
Charges should not vary that much.

[Marilyn]

Thanks Sassy! I didn't even think to look at the date just wondered about the price. Good idea to start a new thread.