Young women with breast cancer are likely to experience financial hardships in the wake of diagnosis, regardless of insurance and financial circumstances, according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
The study revealed that about 47% of the patient population surveyed experienced financial decline because of the costs to handle cancer care. Even more, 81.5% of that population claimed to use personal funds to on treatment out-of-pocket costs.
“Even though patients and physicians understand the importance of having discussions about the economic burden of cancer, such conversations seldom occur,” explained lead researcher Florence K.L. Tangka, PhD, MS. “Cancer patients may not have choices in all aspects of cancer care, but if they have information on the duration of treatment and how much they need to pay out of pocket, they can plan…
