The cost of chemotherapy drugs varies depending upon the type of chemotherapy drugs prescribed to the patients and the geographical location of where the patient resides. Hospitals and clinics might also charge the drugs at a higher price depending upon the availability of the drugs as well as the number of people who take the treatment. The average cost of chemotherapy is varied as there are a lot of factors that needs to be considered to determine the price of chemotherapy drugs.

Chemotherapy is a treatment that is chemical based and that aids in the destruction of cancer cells. A lot of toxic substances are used in chemotherapy. Although care is taken to make sure that the toxic substances do not cause any harm to the patients, in some cases, it severely affects the patients. Therefore, in some cases, one can find a lot of side effects shown by the patients. The goal of chemotherapy is to eliminate or reduce the cancer cells that multiply at a very fast pace. In an effort to destroy the cancer cells, other healthy cells that are similar to the fast-growing cancer cells such as the hair cells and the white blood cells are also damaged. It is for this reason that people lose hair during chemotherapy. There are many health insurance companies who offer assistance for chemotherapy treatment.

There are various factors that determine the average cost of chemotherapy. Apart from the actual cost of drugs prescribed by the doctors, the location of the patient also matters. At a remote place, the transportation expenses are also added to the drugs. If the drugs are given under a doctor’s supervision in a hospital, the hospital fees and service fees are included in it. This differs from place to place.

The cost of chemotherapy drugs, on an average, ranges from $300 to $800 for an eight-week treatment course. Some insured drugs could also be as low as $100, which includes the common drugs such as 5-FU and leucovorin. In January 2009, the National Cancer Institute released some information relating to chemotherapy costs which mentioned that the treatment for breast cancer for 10 years would cost around $21,000. This was basically for the intermittent treatment, whereas the cost for prostate and lung cancer could hover up to $ 40,000.

Because new drugs are constantly being developed, the average price of drugs is not always constant for chemotherapy. The new drugs in most cases are more expensive than the older or common chemotherapy drugs. According to chemotherapyfacts.com, drugs like irinotecan and oxaliplatin could cost up to $10,000 or even more for a single course of treatment.

Most people feel that the increase in cost is not fair. The American Society of Clinical Oncology says that the prices raise a lot of question on the pharmaceutical industry as it reflects their greed and carelessness. This view has been supported by many organizations. On the other hand, the supporters of chemotherapy drugs have stated that the pharmaceutical companies make the drug available to the average population who in general cannot afford the treatment.

Average cost of chemotherapy although is increasing these days with the advent of new drugs, they are still within the reach of a common man.