Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Nov;24(11):4739-46.
doi: 10.1007/s00520-016-3323-y. Epub 2016 Jun 30.

The impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment on employment, income, treatment decisions and financial assistance and their relationship to socioeconomic and disease factors

Christine Paul  1   2 , Allison Boyes  3   4 , Alix Hall  3   4 , Alessandra Bisquera  5 , Annie Miller  6 , Lorna O'Brien  6
Affiliations

The impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment on employment, income, treatment decisions and financial assistance and their relationship to socioeconomic and disease factors

Christine Paul et al. Support Care Cancer. 2016 Nov.

Abstract

Purpose: The financial impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment can be considerable to individuals and their households, leading to changes in treatment decision making. This study aimed to quantify effects on income and employment; describe how cost-related factors influence treatment decision making and need for financial assistance; and to identify patient sociodemographic factors associated with treatment decision making, use of financial assistance and financial effects.

Methods: A cross-sectional self-report questionnaire was administered to oncology outpatients from two hospitals in Australia: one regional and one metropolitan.

Results: Of 255 participants, 67 % indicated a change in employment and 63 % of those reported reduced household income since their diagnosis. Travel (15 %), loss of income (14 %) and cost of treatments (11 %) were commonly cited factors influencing treatment decision making. Seventy-four percent of participants reported that they did not access financial assistance, with more than a third (37 %) of those being unaware that financial assistance was available. Being currently not employed and more recent diagnosis were associated with a reduced income since diagnosis. After adjusting for employment status and age, patients with private health insurance had higher odds of reporting that financial factors had influenced treatment decision making (OR = 2.5).

Conclusion: Unemployment is a major driver of the financial impact of cancer. The costs of treatment may be particularly challenging for those with private health insurance who are more likely to be treated in the private health system where out-of-pocket costs are greater. Improved access to financial assistance is required to better avoid potential inequities.

Keywords: Cancer; Cross-sectional studies; Decision making; Employment; Oncology; Treatment.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Acta Oncol. 2007;46(4):446-51 - PubMed
    1. Psychooncology. 2013 Sep;22(9):2032-8 - PubMed
    1. Cancer. 2010 Jul 15;116(14):3493-504 - PubMed
    1. J Oncol Pract. 2010 Mar;6(2):69-73 - PubMed
    1. Health Aff (Millwood). 2005 Jan-Jun;Suppl Web Exclusives:W5-63-W5-73 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources