Financial Hardship Common in Patients With Cancer
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Sept. 24, 2024 -- Nearly half of patients with cancer experience some level of financial hardship (FH), according to a study published online Aug. 15 in JCO Oncology Practice.
Betina Yanez, Ph.D., from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, and colleagues used data from 2,305 participants in the Northwestern University Improving the Management of Symptoms during and following Cancer Treatment trial to examine the longitudinal relationships between financial hardship, anxiety, and depression in patients with cancer.
The researchers found correlations between FH and depressive symptoms (r = 0.310) and anxiety (r = 0.289). Baseline and six-month depressive symptom levels predicted later FH (baseline: β = 0.079; six-month: β = 0.072), and nine-month FH significantly predicted 12-month depressive symptoms (β = 0.083), even after accounting for health care charges and out-of-pocket costs. Baseline and nine-month anxiety predicted subsequent FH (baseline: β = 0.097; nine-month: β = 0.071).
"The psychological toll of financial toxicity or the stress and worry that comes with such financial concerns is particularly distressing for patients who are already going through the difficulties of cancer treatment," coauthor Laila A. Gharzai, M.D., also from Northwestern University, said in a statement. "It is important to screen patients for risk of financial toxicity so that we can better identify those experiencing it and connect them with resources."
Several authors disclosed ties to industry.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted September 2024
Read this next
Worse Mental Health Trajectories Seen for Survivors of Teen, Young Adult Cancer
WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2025 -- Survivors of adolescent and young adulthood (AYA) cancer have significantly worse mental health trajectories into middle or older adulthood, according...
ASCO: GLP-1 Receptor Agonists May Reduce Risk for Obesity-Related Cancer, All-Cause Death
WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2025 -- For adults with diabetes and obesity, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are associated with a reduced risk for obesity-related...
ASCO: Alcohol-Associated Cancer Mortality Increased From 1990 to 2021
TUESDAY, May 27, 2025 -- Alcohol-associated cancer mortality increased from 1990 to 2021, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.