Screening for Financial Toxicity in Clinical Care With Finance-Related Outcome Measures

Abstract

“Financial toxicity” (FT) describes both the objective financial burden and subjective financial distress from a cancer diagnosis and its treatment.1,2 Up to 48% of cancer survivors report experiencing financial burden due to direct (eg, out-of-pocket expenses) and indirect (eg, loss of income) costs.3 Financial toxicity exists in all health systems including user-pay, universal, and hybrid settings.3,4 Depending on a patient's individual circumstances, cancer diagnosis and treatments, and coping strategies,3 this burden may cause significant financial distress, reduced adherence with treatment, and delayed or forgone treatment, which lead to poorer health outcomes.2,3,5 Our systematic review showed a 3-fold increased risk of depression and anxiety in cancer survivors experiencing FT.6 Individuals living in the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas are at a greater risk of FT related to cancer care.7