'60 Minutes' examines 'astronomical price' of many cancer drugs

The CBS news magazine aired a segment Sunday that looked into why the drugs cost so much and whether they're really more effective than less-expensive alternatives.

CBS '60 Minutes': The Cost Of Cancer Drugs
Cancer is so pervasive that it touches virtually every family in this country. More than one out of three Americans will be diagnosed with some form of it in their lifetime. And as anyone who's been through it knows, the shock and anxiety of the diagnosis is followed by a second jolt: the high price of cancer drugs. They are so astronomical that a growing number of patients can't afford their co-pay, the percentage of their drug bill they have to pay out-of-pocket. This has led to a revolt against the drug companies led by some of the most prominent cancer doctors in the country (Stahl, 8/5).