the cost of time

Today in the NY Times there's an interesting story, and it brings to mind some questions. The story addresses the cost of cancer drugs, especially when the drugs are shown to NOT provide as good of a result as initially thought. Avastin is a drug that is commonly used for advanced breast cancer, colon cancer, and lung cancer, and it can run up to $100,000 a year. Basically, the drug cuts off the tumor's blood supply - but studies have shown that it really only prolongs life by a couple of months, and is actually less effective than it was thought to be when originally approved by the FDA. And yet it is one of the most popular cancer drugs in the world. So here's the question: is it worth it? How do we measure that? Personally? Professionally? Economically? How can we be rational and methodical when we are, essentially, putting a price on life, on time? 

Being in the field and also having had loved ones and friends have cancer, I don't have an answer. At first glance, I might think, yeah, if empirical studies are showing it's not that effective, and the cost is so staggeringly high, it might not be worth just a few months. But if one of my family members or friends - or I - had cancer, would I fight like hell to live and encourage them to do the same? You bet. Would I be grasping at anything to give me a little more time? Of course. But now we get into murkier water - the whole "quality or quantity" issue. I have seen elderly people go through surgeries and chemo when their bodies are already weakened and it's known that there's no curing them. It's a horrible thing to watch. But I've also been on the other side, with the fear and uncertainty and wishing something could be done. So I'm not sure how I feel about this whole issue, with the Avastin and whether it's worth it. How do we put a price on time? 

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules and have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.  -- Jack Kerouac