Cancer Treatment Options Forum - January 12th, 2011 - 2 Comments
Pancreatic Cancer and Chemo pump?
A family member has been diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. They will start him with a chemo pump on Monday that is not covered by insurance. What are the chances of this chemo being effective and shrinking the tumors that he has?
Usually, pancreatic patients that are put on chemo pumps are receiving 5FU in combination with radiation therapy. The 5FU acts as a synergist with the radiation, making the treatment more effective. These two things in combination are quite effective at shrinking tumors. It’s not a cure, but it will improve both quality an quantity of life. PS… There should be some kind of coverage for the pump. I would talk to your insurance company. This is a standard treatment, not something experimental. They should cover the cost. File an appeal, at least.
Without knowing the specific type of cancer and the specific meds and everything else about his case, no one here can tell you. What are the docs saying?