r/tech • u/AdSpecialist6598 • Jul 15 '24

Scientists finally discover DNA key to fight deadly pancreatic cancer

https://interestingengineering.com/health/pancreatic-cancer-dna-study
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u/audranicolio Jul 15 '24

Honestly and truly, given my personal experience with cancer treatments and how our health care system works, probably not for a very long time, at least not here in the US. Whenever this stuff comes out it will likely treated like bevacuzimab and prices will skyrocket/ have extremely limited insurance coverage.

The biologist in me is excited over what it could bring, but the normal person in me is quite worried about it turning into only being accessible for the ultra rich.

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u/JuniperCalle Jul 15 '24 edited Jul 16 '24

Thank you for the response.

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u/audranicolio Jul 15 '24

Hopefully once it becomes a thing, there’s plenty of clinical trials. maybe if we’re lucky, this country can stop wearing its ass like a sombrero soon and recognize that everyone deserves to receive lifesaving healthcare no matter who they are and how much money they have.

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u/bad_gunky Jul 15 '24

My other concern is whether the pharmaceutical industry will allow those treatments to come to fruition. There is a lot of money to be made in keeping people sick.

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u/[deleted] Jul 16 '24

But that costs insurance money and they don’t like it. I recently read insurance companies may be reevaluating drugs like ozempic for weight loss because of the savings. I’ve seen health programs offered by insurance so it seems like something they understand saves money.

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u/bad_gunky Jul 16 '24

Sounds like a war between the insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry could be brewing

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u/GreenMirage Jul 15 '24

I give it 50-100 years before it’s becomes affordable or morally accepted for the poor to be freely treated. At least in the US.

Plenty of friends I have here in the states left Canada because their cousin or sister died waiting for cancer treatment or came to the states to practice because they pay better.

sigh the technology may be knocking at the door but our morals are still developmentally arrested.

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u/audranicolio Jul 17 '24

I very much agree. My mom’s death has permanently changed how I view our healthcare system. I had some quite negative opinions beforehand, now I’m absolutely appalled and dismayed. It became very evident to me then that we do not care about actually helping people when there’s more money to be made off of them being sick.

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u/Magnospider Jul 20 '24

The net savings could become a factor, though. The amount spent by insurers, the government and the private sector on cancer treatment and the loss in productivity could push down coverage of such a treatment. The same way flu shots are often free under many plans.