A 25-year-old man from New Zealand was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and learned about CAR T-cell therapy while seeking treatment. As he considered options in the United States, India and Australia, the cost at an Australian hospital was estimated to be as much as US$600,000, making it difficult for his family to shoulder the expense.
Walters, 25, from New Zealand, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma last year. He received chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immunotherapy in Auckland, but none of the treatments was effective.
After doctors explained CAR T-cell therapy, he began considering options in the United States, India and Australia. A hospital in Melbourne, Australia, could provide the treatment, but the cost was estimated at up to US$600,000, or approximately ¥92 million.
He was told that the size of the treatment bill would make it difficult for his family to bear the expense.
This article examines how treatment options and the cost barrier affect patients seeking advanced cancer treatment far from home.