Abstract
BACKGROUND: The costs of cancer care in the US continue to increase and may have serious consequences for patients. We hypothesize that even cancer patients treated with curative-intent surgery alone experience substantial financial burden. METHODS: A questionnaire was administered to adult cancer patients who were treated with curative-intent surgery. Survey items included a validated instrument for measuring financial toxicity, the COST score. Demographic variables and survey responses were examined using Chi-square and Fisher exact tests. A multivariate general linear model was performed to examine the relationship between age and COST score. RESULTS: COST scores varied widely. 30% of respondents had a COST score of ≤24 (high burden). Younger participants reported more financial burden (p = 0.008). Respondents reported that financial factors influenced their decisions regarding surgery (14%) and caused them to skip recommended care (4.7%). Cancer care influenced overall financial health (38%) and contributed to medical debt (26%). CONCLUSION: Curative-intent cancer care places a substantial portion of patients at risk for financial toxicity even when they don't require chemotherapy. Interventions should not be limited to patients receiving chemotherapy.