Fox Business
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Cancer Screening is Costly But Saves Money

Details

  • Description

    FOX News medical correspondent Dr. Marc Siegel on the cost of cancer screening.

  • Duration 3:36
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Latest Video

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

Thank you must.

-- -- about health care costs and how -- soaring in this country proper screening and early detection of cancer might be costly -- first you can save millions of dollars in the long run.

-- -- -- Fox News medical correspondent doctor Marc Siegel joins me now with more -- seat let's pretend he wants at the -- -- I am doing fantastic stuff.

This is a great debate going on right on health care industry do you spend more.

I'm pre screenings.

To obviously have to come up with these costs later on in in the ultimate disease treatment of where he stands panel -- how do you know how -- -- educate yourself.

Here's where I think it pans out this as.

Ovarian and prostate cancer awareness month this month.

And there's been a lot of debate the past year the US preventive services task force says.

We shouldn't be screening for ovarian cancer because there's we're doing a lot of unnecessary ultra -- and blood tests and we're not finding it anyway we're doing false positive testing meaning.

That we think we find that it's not really cancer.

With a prostate it's even more of an issue because the US preventive services task forces saying don't do the PSA but the prostate specific and Jim Laurie has.

Literally cut down by 50%.

Prostate that's over the past decade and I looked this up and I found out.

That we're spending a -- over a 100000 dollars per patient if you get advanced prostate cancer -- -- -- if you wait.

And the PSAs -- out the PSA 90% of the time the cancer comes late by then you're spending a 100000 per patient.

The US -- preventive services task force so as well wait a minute what about all those unnecessary biopsies and unnecessary surgeries -- cost ten to 20000 dollars.

But I spoke -- David somebody who is one of our experts here in a world expert and prostate cancer let's hear what he has to say about the PSA.

But there's a PSA is not the best place in the world but that's all we have time for US task force to -- -- say.

This is not a good test you don't need to get tested you're going to see a lot of men out there to fall through this -- an end up having their cancer spread.

That's the key point.

I mean you can listen it's about the doctor not about the tests we always looking at the wrong thing if the doctor is ordering another necessary biopsy rather than looking for a trend rather than trying antibiotics first.

-- -- enabling the test the test tells us that we might have a problem if we diagnose it early we're saving money.

Okay we're saving money but then what without the costs associated with those tests and who that cost is assigned to I mean can you guarantee that the insurance -- -- because this raises a whole new pandora's box of who's again gonna come up with the cash to cover that screening -- even -- -- I am told by my doctor I don't need this type of pre screening for ovarian cancer whatnot because.

It's been unsuccessful or or.

What have you but I still feel in my heart of hearts that I -- -- go through it.

And my insurance company says look up to -- I -- where he wouldn't stand on that you're.

You -- to the -- of the from a financial point of view Chris truthfully I think that.

The health care industry should be willing to cover.

The insurance company should cover the best care to I mean if you find prostate cancer early -- get -- get it.

Great technology like robotic prostate surgery -- a great surgeon you get it removed to get a cure and then there's less money spent.

With ovarian cancer you have the opposite problem I don't -- -- -- and waste that money if I can't find that that ways of screening you can find -- -- -- -- otherwise you look at the chemotherapy which is very very expensive.

-- I don't wanna going up I think across the look at Obama care and medical device makers who are b.'s are the companies making.

These testing added procedures up what is it 23%.

Tax just flat right on top so and that's compared to exit that's gonna hurt medical technology we're not gonna have the latest and greatest cures and treatments because of -- hand concerning stock but it but.

Good good to be aware thank you very much under -- --

Load More