[forum456]

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/for...ty-of-life

I am a stage four lung cancer patient who has been on targeted therapy for three years.

Targeted therapy is costly but it has given me a good quality of life since my diagnosis in 2018.

I barely experience any side effects, unlike with chemotherapy. I am able to function more like a healthy individual, returning to work full-time and contributing to society.


It is disappointing to read that the Ministry of Health has decided to decrease the MediShield Life claim limit for the targeted therapy drug I was on from $3,000 to $2,000 (Move to rein in cost of cancer care to help more patients, Aug 18).

The drug is also not listed under the Medication Assistance Fund scheme, nor is it subsidised.

This drug costs close to $7,000 a month at a restructured hospital. For patients who are covered only under MediShield Life, having to fork out the $1,000 difference monthly is a burden on the finances.


Of course, the patient can choose to switch to chemotherapy, which is a much cheaper alternative. However, the patient will face debilitating side effects.

Unfortunately, I have recently moved on to traditional chemotherapy as targeted therapy has stopped working for me.

Even with this supposedly easier cocktail of chemotherapy drugs, I experienced nausea, bloating, hair loss, fatigue, neuropathy and throat inflammation.

With targeted therapy, I experienced only elevated cholesterol levels which are managed by medication.

I may not be eligible for targeted therapy now, but for others diagnosed with stage four cancer, every treatment option is vital in extending a patient's life.

Losing one treatment option because it is unaffordable is heart-wrenching.

Hurng Yu Hui

[sgbuffett]

Very glad that a cancer patient who himself is trudging with the disease wrote a letter on something that can be done to benefit others.

I have always said insurance is not the way to go because there is always tradeoff between cost and lives....but there should never be.

That why universal single payer healthcare like in Canada UK, France, Taiwan and Japan.....put lives of citizens above money ....isn't that the whole purpose of becoming a 1st World country so that no citizen need not worry about healthcare costs. Instead our elites take care of their own well being first...then trickle the benefits down.

Until today ....a Singaporean still need to worry about finances when sick..and more worried today than in the past due to escalating healthcare costs.

We have not made progress here.

Man shares his experience when wife had cancer and was treated in Canada...totally no need to worry about bills insurance claims...just focus on getting well and everything financial is taken care of.

[RiseofAsia]

You dont know Sg can only die but cannot get sick?

High cost of medical.
Better buy more medical insurance.
You sick is your business.