Cost and affordability of chemotherapy medicines needed to treat acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and Hodgkin’s lymphoma
| Disease | Duration of chemotherapy (weeks) | Total medicine cost using MSG prices (INR) | Total medicine cost using MSG prices (US$) | Days’ wages needed to pay for treatment medicines | Total medicine cost using maximum retail price (INR) | Total medicine cost using maximum retail price (US$) | Days’ wages needed to pay for treatment medicines |
| Standard-risk BCP ALL | 120 | 27 850 | 442 | 88 | 31 651 | 502 | 100 |
| High-risk BCP ALL | 125 | 71 428 | 1134 | 225 | 77 476 | 1230 | 244 |
| Early stage HL | 16 | 17 500 | 278 | 55 | 21 364 | 339 | 67 |
| Advanced stage HL | 24 | 26 250 | 417 | 83 | 32 046 | 509 | 101 |
BCP ALL, B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; HL, Hodgkin’s lymphoma; MSG, most-sold generic.