Prostate cancer is Australia’s most diagnosed disease and the costliest to treat yet major public and private sector differences mean access to preferred care for many men is too expensive.
Private patient costs for a robotic prostatectomy, a standard surgical procedure for removal of the prostate, ranges between $12,000 (US$8,200) and $30,000 (US$20,060) nationally, new research shows.
Despite increasing demand, though, it’s not routinely offered by state and territory health services.
Similarly, high numbers of patients experience loss of sexual function and bladder control. But options for corrective surgery in the public system are limited, forcing men to pay thousands in out-of-pocket costs to try to regain basic function and restore quality of life….