Kidney Cancer Treatment Cost

Typical costs:

• For patients with health insurance, out-of-pocket costs for kidney cancer treatment typically consist of doctor visit, lab and prescription drug copays as well as coinsurance of 10%-50% for surgery and other procedures, which can easily reach the yearly out-of-pocket maximum. Kidney cancer treatment typically is covered by health insurance, although some plans might not cover individual drugs or treatments.
• For patients not covered by health insurance, kidney cancer treatment typically costs $15,000-$75,000 or more for a nephrectomy, a kidney removal surgery. The cost depends on the extent of the surgery and whether there are complications. Treatment with drugs can add $50,000 to almost $200,000 for one course of treatment, for a total that can reach $500,000 or more, depending on the medications used.
• For example, according to Vimo.com, a health care cost comparison website, the average list price for kidney removal is more than $25,000 while the average negotiated price, through an insurance company, is about $8,000. According to the site, The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland has the lowest list price for the procedure at $14,500. At Baptist Memorial Health Care, in Tennessee, a kidney surgery[2] for cancer costs from $25,000 without complications to more than $70,000 with major complications, not including doctor fee.
• The average monthly cost of sorafenib[3] , a drug commonly used to treat kidney cancer, is $2,603. And the average monthly cost of sunitinib, another drug often used, is $3,346, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. One course of treatment with sorafenib[4] costs about $62,200, while a course of treatment with sunitinib costs about $79,400. One course of treatment with bevacizumab, a drug given intravenously, reaches almost $175,000, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
• A kidney transplant[5] , which might be an option in some cases, according to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, can cost $260,000 or more total for the pre-transplant screening, donor matching, surgery, post surgical care and first six months of drugs. Afterward, it costs about $17,000 per year for anti-rejection drugs.

• In many cases, surgery will be recommended to treat kidney cancer. Depending on the case, the doctor might recommend either a partial nephrectomy, in which part of the kidney is removed or a simple nephrectomy, in which a whole kidney is removed. In more advanced cases, it might be necessary to do a radical nephrectomy, in which nearby tissue, lymph nodes and the adrenal gland also are removed.
• In some cases, when surgery is not a good option, radiofrequency ablation[6] can be used to heat and destroy kidney tumors. If both kidneys are removed or do not function, the patient will require dialysis or a kidney transplant.
• In many cases, targeted therapy[7] , drugs that specifically target the cancer cells and may spare healthy cells, will be recommended. Drugs commonly used include sorafenib[8] (brand name Nexavar), sunitinib[9] (brand name Sutent), both of which are taken as a pill, as well as temsirolimus[10] (brand name Torisel), which is given by IV infusion, usually once a week.
• Kidney cancer often is resistant to chemotherapy[11] , so it might be tried only after other treatments, such as targeted therapy, have failed. Kidney cancer also tends to be resistant to radiation therapy[12] .
• In some cases, a kidney transplant might be recommended. The National Cancer Institute offers an overview of kidney cancer treatment[13] .

• Dialysis can cost $500 per treatment or $50,000-$70,000 per year; however, patients might be eligible for Medicare, which provides dialysis.

• Many hospitals give discounts of up to 30% or more to uninsured or cash-paying patients. For example, Washington Hospital Healthcare System[14] in California offers a 35% discount.
• Some companies offer free cancer drugs to uninsured patients who cannot afford the drugs. For example, Bayer has a patient assistance program[15] that provides free Nexavar for a year.

• The Society of Surgical Oncology offers a surgical oncologist locator.
• The National Cancer Institute offers a guide[16] to finding a doctor or cancer treatment facility.
• The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients offers a transplant center locator[17] by address.
• Medicare.gov offers a dialysis center locator[18] .

1.  www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001544/
2.  www.baptistonline.org/expense-navigator/get-started/
3.  meetinglibrary.asco.org/subcategories/2009+Genitourinary+Cancers+Symposium
4.  meetinglibrary.asco.org/subcategories/2010+Genitourinary+Cancers+Symposium
5.  www.mdanderson.org/patient-and-cancer-information/cancer-information/cancer-types/...
6.  www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=rfakidney
7.  www.cancer.org/cancer/kidneycancer/detailedguide/kidney-cancer-adult-treating-targ...
8.  www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a607051.html
9.  www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a607052.html
10.  www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a607071.html
11.  www.cancer.org/cancer/kidneycancer/detailedguide/kidney-cancer-adult-treating-chem...
12.  www.cancer.org/cancer/kidneycancer/detailedguide/kidney-cancer-adult-treating-radi...
13.  www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/renalcell/Patient/page4
14.  www.whhs.com/about/washington-hospital-discount-policy-for-uninsured/
15.  www.nexavar-us.com/scripts/pages/en/patient/patient-support/reach/
16.  www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/doctor-facility
17.  www.srtr.org/csr/current/Centers/Default.aspx
18.  www.medicare.gov/dialysisfacilitycompare/(S(xkhbktoricuypydsbx3u5i50))/search.aspx...

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