How might we improve survival rates for cancer patients?

realitykeeper

A 2016 study showed the total cost of a 6 month course of chemotherapy was $27,000, so we can estimate (very approximately) the cost is around 27,000 euros today.

According to a 2012 study, a three month course of sipuleucel-T cost $90,000 so probably around 100,000 euros today. This drug reduces the risk of death by 41% in men with postrate cancer.

Bevacizumab is a safe and effective drug against several cancers and it`s cost was $90,000 for a four week course in 2012 so probably about 100,000 euro today.

Obviously, there are have been more modern and even more effective drugs added to the market since 2012, and no doubt these are probably more expensive again but my point is, by reprioritizing what the HSE spends money on, these medicines could very easily be procured for cancer patients in this country.

For example, a consultant earns about 600,000 euro and a junior doctor earns about 57,000 euro. So, what if we reduced the consultants pay by 480,000 euro (with any luck he would quit so we wouldn`t have to pay him redundancy), and then increase the junior doctor`s pay to a nice round 100,000 euro. Then the saving every year, (i.e. 437,000 euro)could be used to pay for a 100,000 euro course of Bevacizumab or sipuleucel-T for each of four cancer patients. After all, if you were a cancer patient, which would you prefer, a course of effective medication or an overpaid consultant?

And, the 37,000 euro left over would be a saving for the taxpayer.

Wouldn`t that be a good idea?

Ubbquittious

Is there any possibility that the consultant is worth the 600k and provides value for money? You could get rid of a Joe Duffy and a politician and hold on to the consultant. This move doesnt incur any risk to the cancer patients

Witcher

Wants to improve patient outcomes...tries to force consultants to resign.

realitykeeper

As of July 10 this year, the HSE employed 3984 consultants.

10,310 people died of cancer last year.

Cutting consultants pay is the intelligent thing to do. The example I gave would mean a near doubling in pay for junior doctors and a 100,000 euro course of treatment for four patients, for every consultant whose pay we dock by 480,000 euro. If the consultant quits, we would have enough to treat 7 patients with a 100,000 euro course of medication.

Doing the math, we wouldn`t need to cut their pay by 480,000 euro but it makes sense to do it anyway in the hope they might quit and we wouldn`t have to pay them at all. The savings would be more than enough and it would free up a tidal wave of finance for other drugs and equipment.

endacl

This is why you’re in charge of silly threads, and not the health service.

Leg End Reject

Yep, forcing consultant oncologists to quit will dramatically increase cancer survival rates.

Oh, wait ... 🤔🤔🙄

realitykeeper

In fact, the saving we would make by getting rid of all of the consultants would be enough to give the 100,000 euro treatment to each of 24,000 cancer patients per year! Just to put it in perspective, that is 2.4 times the number of people who die of cancer in Ireland each year, so obviously more than we need but it just shows what is possible if we get rid of all the consultants. And, drastically cutting their pay is the way to do it as they might quit and that would save us an absolute fortune in redundancy payments!

stargazer 68

And who is going to diagnose these patients to enable them to receive all this treatment as quickly as its required? Themselves????

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121443283#Comment_121443283

Who exactly is going to have consultations with patients, explain their prognosis with and without treatment, explain side effects, prescribe treatment, monitor how the patient is responding to treatment etc?

Are you suggesting they're given an IV line, chemotherapy and other drugs, told to give it a bash at home and wished good luck?

I'm actually worse for responding tbh.

realitykeeper

Why would you need a consultant oncologist when you can just follow the manufacturer`s instructions, in other words, do what it says on the tin.

The junior doctors do all the heavy lifting anyway, they (or a nurse) could read the label if the patient can`t.

Leg End Reject

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121443307#Comment_121443307

Your username is a lie.

Strumms

Certain consultants are overpaid, others are not.

two I’m thinking of should be nowhere near a hospital unless they are having a lie down in the morgue…

one is around 55-60…. About as useful as a submarine with no oxygen and pig ignorant…

the other around 50… affable and empathetic but always forgetful as in what commitments he made to you… literally pointless conversations you might as well be talking to your next door neighbour at a bus stop. “I’ll get that sorted for you..” me next year … “ any sign of that appointment was promised? “ him… “ did I promise you that ? “.. “ ohhh I did, err I see, right…..”

likely given their ages and experiences that they are afforded with about 400,000 - 500,000 of taxpayers money between them…..

they seem to be content to hold taxpayers to ransom…

should be greater oversight of consultants but they don’t likthat and there is never much appetite on anyone’s behalf.

Tork

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121443307#Comment_121443307

Well, it makes a change from them rushing to "put down" their patients or pumping them with drugs that make them gain weight faster a month-long Krispy Kreme binge https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121333872/#Comment_121333872

I attended a top Multiple Sclerosis consultant the other day, he gave out about another consultant I attended from whom he tried to get info but said doctor did not respond to his requests. Some of them are indeed useless, but some are worth every cent they get.

Gremlinertia

While I'm all for discussion and the odd hypothetical situation this ends here, there's good and bad in all careers, creeds what have you. Thread closed..

Grem