Quarter of breast cancer survivors are worse off financially due to treatment

[News]

Four years after being treated for breast cancer, a quarter of survivors say they are worse off financially, at least partly because of their treatment, according to a new study led by University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers.

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[IrvineFriend]

I don't know, seems like a no-brainer that any serious medical condition is going to cost in co-pays, lost time, employers lack of confidence, etc.

['lizbeth]

and what the heck do they mean by this conclusion?

"These patients are particularly vulnerable to financial distress," Jagsi says. "We need to ensure appropriate communication between patients and their doctors regarding the financial implications of a cancer diagnosis and treatment decisions to help reduce this long-term burden."

Hey doc - I'm broke, what should I skip? Radiation therapy, Chemotherapy? Herceptin? No use saving me - I won't be able to pay the bill anyway.

Instead of wasting the money on studies with obvious results such as this, how about establishing a fund that helps cancer patients afford treatments and supplement living expenses during treatment.

[Becky]

They have such groups. My sister, who does not have insurance (but did do Obamacare now), was uninsured and diagnosed with DCIS after her yearly free mammogram. A group stepped in and she is insured for BC. Had to go to one particular group/hospital but she had lumpectomy and then radiation. She has her every 6 month oncology check up. Her onc is right on. She was on Tamoxifen and got blood clots in her leg and he was right on with that and the group covered that too. We were lucky.

Finances are stressful and they were for me because just as my treatment began, my husband got laid off so trying to come up with everything was a stretch. Because I got late Herceptin (alone), my onc didn't think my insurance would pay for it but I was going to take a loan on my house to pay for it (insurance paid). Its just another thing that complicates an already confusing time.