The story of Mr. Kennedy's battle with glioblastoma is one that raises questions of hope and reality and of how much the health care system should pay for hope. As has happened with most cancers in the nation's 40-year war on cancer, progress on glioblastomas has been incremental. With these deadly brain cancers in particular, the disease remains poorly understood. And even though many patients, like Mr. Kennedy, who sought care at Duke University Medical Center, travel looking for cutting-edge care, there are limited options for treatment that have been shown to help.
Yet the cost is high. Estimates of the total cost from experts at various medical centers range from $100,000 to $500,000.
"If you have the insurance to come to Duke, no problem," said Dr. Henry Friedman, co-director of the brain tumor center at Duke. But if patients are uninsured or underinsured, the situation is different. Then, he said, "we will work with their home physician to give them our expertise."
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