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Unmet need for clinician engagement about financial toxicity after diagnosis of breast cancer
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July 23 2018
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Source: Cancer. 124(18):3668-3676
[PDF-432.69 KB]
Details:
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Alternative Title:Cancer
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Personal Author:
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Description:Background:
Little is known about whether growing awareness of the financial toxicity of cancer diagnosis and treatment has increased clinician engagement or changed current patients’ needs.
Methods:
We surveyed patients with early-stage breast cancer, identified through population-based sampling from two SEER regions, and their physicians. We describe responses from 73% of surgeons (n=370), 61% of medical oncologists (n=306), 67% of radiation oncologists (n=169), and 68% of patients (n=2502).
Results:
Half (50.9%) of responding medical oncologists reported that someone in their practice often or always discusses financial burden with patients, as did 15.6% of surgeons and 43.2% of radiation oncologists. Patients indicated that financial toxicity remains common: 21.5% of whites and 22.5% of Asians had to cut down spending on food, as did 45.2% of blacks and 35.8% of Latinas. Many patients desired to talk to providers about the financial impact of cancer: 15.2% of whites, 31.1% of blacks, 30.3% of Latinas, and 25.4% of Asians. Unmet patient needs for engagement with doctors about financial concerns were common. Of 945 women who worried about finances, 679 (72.8%) indicated that doctors and their staff did not help. Of 523 women who desired to talk to providers about the impact of breast cancer on employment or finances, 283 (55.4%) reported no relevant discussion.
Conclusion:
Many patients report inadequate clinician engagement in management of financial toxicity, even though many providers believe that they make services available. Clinician assessment and communication regarding financial toxicity must improve; cure at the cost of financial ruin is unacceptable.
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Source:
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Pubmed ID:30033631
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Pubmed Central ID:PMC6553459
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Document Type:
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Funding:HHSN26100006/Cancer incidence data collection in Georgia/International ; HHSN261201000140C/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; P30CA46592/University of Michigan Cancer Center Biostatistics, Analytics and Bioinformatics shared resource/International ; HHSN26100006/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; HHSN261201000035C/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States ; ... More +
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Volume:124
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Issue:18
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