David
At 3 months short of 65, it is time NOW to apply for medicare - I hope you are eligible.
I have had CIS for a bit over 3 years, on and off, always stage 0. It gets knocked down, then it comes back. My third induction of BCG (6 treatments) were with interferon and i had better temporary results, but the CIS did return.
I am not a good candidate for an RC, thus continuing to try different treatments makes sense for me. For others, the smart choice may be choosing to go the RC route before the cancer hits the invasive point. None of us wants to hear that our cancer is now invasive. At 3 years I am still CIS stage 0 bladder cancer, looking for a cure for CIS.
A bit more on medicare and cancer treatment. For one dose of BCG plus Interferon I am billed $3625.00. The actual total payment by medicare and my secondary is $1550.00 (rounded), with the secondary picking up about $ 310.00 of that total.
You can talk to medicare and find out what they pay in your area; my understanding is that there is not a national payment schedule. You can explain to your doctor that you will be on medicare in 3 months, and ask if it is safe to wait, or, can s/he offer you a discount to the medicare price now, IF you choose to pay out of pocket ?
Bladder cancer is considered among the most expensive to treat because it does come back and treatments can continue for years. I have found that to be all too true.
Best,
Jack
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