Data Stream
Doctors as Fundraisers
American Horror Story!: Binge-Watching Increases Risk of Blood Clot
A cancer patient nearing the end of treatment expresses
his gratitude for the care provided – should the doctor
accept the words of gratitude, or suggest a way for the
patient to demonstrate that gratitude (perhaps through
a monetary donation)? Many oncologists report that
they are being taught to seize these opportunities to
raise funds for their organization, according to a survey
of 405 oncologists from 40 cancer centers.
Call it “binge-watching syndrome”: People who watch 5 or more hours of TV per day more than double their
risk of fatal pulmonary embolism (PE). These results were based on an analysis of 86,024 participants
between the ages of 40 and 79 who completed a self-administered questionnaire about average daily TVwatching time (either <2.5 hours, 2.5-4.9 hours, or ≥5 hours a day).
71%
of respondents said they had been exposed to
their institution’s fundraising/development
staff.
Over 18 years
of follow-up, the risk
of death from PE was
2.38-fold higher in
people who watched ≥5
hours a day, compared
with those who watched
<2.5 hours a day.
The risk was even
higher in people
younger than 60: more
than 5 hours in front
of the TV was associated with a 6.49-fold
increase in fatal PE.
Prolonged sitting
and leg immobility
during TV viewing is the
likely culprit in this study,
so the authors advise
taking a break from both
your TV and your laptop
every now and
then, too.
48%
said they were taught how to identify patients
who would be good donors.
26%
received information about ethical guidelines
for soliciting donations from their patients.
Most doctors reported discomfort with the practice:
63%
felt uncomfortable talking to their patients
about donation.
74%
Source: Shirakawa T. Watching television and mortality from pulmonary embolism among middle-aged Japanese men and women: the
JACC study. Presented at the European Society of Cardiology, August 9, 2015; London, England.
A World of Difference in Cancer Drug Prices
In a review of drug production costs and pricing presented at the 2015 European Cancer Congress in
September, American patients are paying more than double (and sometimes up to 600 times more) for a
certain class of anti-cancer drugs.
The review examined government data on the cost of pharmaceutical ingredients and allowed for a
50-percent profit margin – but no money for investment in research – to work out the costs of producing
tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).
For example:
A year’s
treatment
INDIA
WESTERN EUROPE
UNITED STATES
Imatinib
$159
$29,000-$35,000
$106,000
Erlotinib
$236
$26,000-$29,000
$79,000
Lapatinib
$4,000
$35,000
$74,000
agreed asking for donations could interfere
with the physician-patient relationship.
32%
had been asked to directly solicit a donation
from their patients for their institution. Half
declined to do so.
Source: Walter JK, Griffith KA, Jagsi R. Oncologists’ experiences and attitudes
about their role in philanthropy and soliciting donations from grateful patients. J Clin Oncol. 2015 September 28. [Epub ahead of print]
30
ASH Clinical News
“Why should the United States bear this huge burden cost?” asked investigator Andrew Hill, PhD, a
pharmacologist at the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom. “It is not as if the gross domestic product
of the United States is so much higher than that of European countries, but [Americans] just seem to pay
these big premiums.”
Source: Reuters, “Exclusive: Americans overpaying hugely for cancer drugs – study.”
November 2015