Mother Of Two Asks For Help Paying For Skyrocketing Cost Of Cancer Drug
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A mother of two in Bartlett has launched an effort to raise money for her cancer treatment, which has suddenly become a lot more expensive.
To look at Anna Kalinowski, you would think she is the picture of health.
"I had my oncologist cry when he found out that my cancer came back," she said.
Now she has Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.
Her doctor prescribed a brand name cancer drug, Xeloda, and she found out a few weeks ago the cost of the drug that has been keeping her stable has gone up dramatically, and her mail order pharmacy said she must pay $2,200 a month for it, beyond what her drug plan pays.
"Since they were paying for it last year, what has changed?" she said.
Podcast
Her oncologist, Dr. Kevin McKian, said the pharmacy would pay for the generic version, but Kalinowski wants the brand name drug she's been getting.
"To switch it up mid-course here is very difficult to make the argument to her to change it, when we know what she's getting right now is working, which is the brand name of the drug," McKian said.
Kalinowski said she knows the brand name drug keeps her cancer at least stable, so she's afraid to switch.
She works and tries to support her sons, one 15, one 9, both special needs. And she says she cannot afford the drug. So she's set up a gofundme account, which so far has received more than $10,000 in donations toward her goal of $28,000 toward her cancer treatment.
