MONDAY, Oct. 28, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Many patients with cancer diagnoses experience lasting financial difficulties, according to two studies presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Surgeons, held from Oct. 19 to 22 in San Francisco.
Jorge L. Gomez-Mayorga, M.D., from Beth Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and colleagues conducted a difference-in-differences analysis comparing 99,175 individuals with cancer and 188,875 controls to examine financial outcomes after a cancer diagnosis. The researchers found that patients with cancer experienced increases in total collections, medical collections, and bankruptcy rates compared with controls, as well as decreases in credit scores. A decline in credit score was seen for survivors of bladder, liver, ovarian, colorectal, and lung cancers, which persisted for years after diagnosis, compared with a gradual increase in credit score seen in the control population.
Anastasia Bogdanovski, M.D., from Beth Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and colleagues examined factors associated with financial toxicity in colorectal cancer patients in Massachusetts. The outcome credit score was assessed over time. Data were included for 7,227 colorectal cancer patients with median financial follow-up of 5.3 years. The researchers found that the mean credit score was 716 points, with significant variation seen in points: −11 for younger than 62 years; −78 and −62 for Black and Hispanic race, respectively; −28 for unmarried; −14 for Area Deprivation Index below median; −5 for nonhomeowner; −18 for income below median of $52,000; and −10 and −7 for distant or regional disease, respectively. Notable disparities were observed among cancer and treatment types.
“Further research is needed, but I think financial security should be a priority in cancer care,” coauthor from both studies Benjamin C. James, M.D., also from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said in a statement.
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