Balancing Quality With Longevity Avastin Fallout

By Evan H. Farr, Certified Elder Law Attorney

The Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, PC

. http://www.farrlawfirm.com/

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Balancing Quality With Longevity Avastin Fallout

“The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important.” These words spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were meant to inspire both the young and the old to follow their dreams, but these words may also offer wisdom to those who are diagnosed with a terminal illness. The choice to fight a disease is admirable, but it can come with caveats. In the case of some breast cancer patients, the drug Avastin can cause holes to form in the stomach and intestines, among other things.

Though the FDA has recommended Avastin no longer be sold as a breast cancer treatment, Medicare continues to pay for the drug. And, although doctors can still prescribe Avastin for breast cancer, insurers may not be willing to pay for it. Including administration fees, one year's worth of the drug can cost $100,000.

In the wake of this news, some families must weigh the pros and cons of “quality of life” and “longevity.” While medical professionals can provide much-needed guidance when it comes to such decisions, legal professionals can too. They can ensure a client's wishes are followed, through the use of specific legal instruments meant to preserve dignity and quality of life.

When Elizabeth Edwards succumbed to breast cancer late last year, she was with her family in her home. The decision to forego treatment and remain at home was a decision that was made after doctors indicated that further treatment would be of limited effect. At the time, an expert observed “Americans increasingly are treated to death, spending more time in hospitals in their final days, trying last-ditch treatments that often buy only weeks of time, and racking up bills that have made medical care a leading cause of bankruptcies.”

Ideally, families should have proper planning documents in place before crisis strikes. But, it's never too late to implement a plan for a loved-one, even if they are already in a nursing home. Whether that plan is as simple as naming a person to make critical end-of-life decisions, or also involves distribution of the estate after death, instilling a proper and effective plan can ease the anxieties of the patient and his or her loved-ones, so that the present focus can be shifted off those less important matters.

The most important matters are recalling the good times, celebrating the individual's life, and creating even more memories.