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Tuesday Checkup: Cancer Drugs Offer Benefits But Are Costly

Shortly after being diagnosed with cancerous tumors inside her abdomen, Wanda Bass of Parma Heights was started on a round of intravenous chemotherapy and a drug called Tarceva. When Wanda's husband called the drugstore to fill the order, the pharmacist told him a 30 day supply of the pills would cost more than $2,600 out of pocket, despite the fact that the Bass' have insurance. Their story is a reminder of the cost of our healthcare system at a time that Congress and the Obama administration are considering an overhaul. It's an issue that Angela Townsend writes about in the health section of today's Plain Dealer. She spoke with ideastream®'s Eric Wellman.