scholarly journals A qualitative study on cancer patientś experiences with financial burden and financial distress

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
S L Schröder ◽  
N Schumann ◽  
M Richter
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Financial Distress ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Money Management ◽  
Financial Toxicity ◽  
Financial Decline ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Background Financial toxicity was hardly examined in the context of public health. It is proven that financial distress following a cancer diagnosis can have an impact on the quality of life and mortality. Additionally, it was found that subjective indicators of financial toxicity have a stronger effect than objective indicators. Nevertheless, less is known about how higher costs can impact on the individual patient’s well-being. The aim of this study was to analyse the major drivers that lead from financial consequences to subjective financial distress in a country with statutory health insurance. Methods Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 39 cancer patients, aged between 40 and 86 years, in Germany. Inductive content analysis of data was performed and the individual patient's pathways are recently compared and contrasted. Results Above all, we found that financial distress is not only induced by higher costs and lower available money. Moreover, independently of whether patients experienced any financial decline, they experienced making financial adjustments and feeling financially stressed. The preliminary results show that the patient's ability of good money management and trust in one’s own skills being able to get along with less money might predict psychosocial consequences. Conclusions Screening instruments for financial toxicity are important to effectively detect patients whose quality of life might be worsened by their financial situation. It might be that rather financial skills than the amount of costs are important indicators of financial distress. Key messages Even cancer patients experiencing almost no financial decline during the period of cancer treatment might experience lower quality of life caused by financial distress. The ability and trust in oneself money management might have the strongest impact on subjective financial stress.

Financial toxicity, financial well-being, and quality of life among bladder cancer patients.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (29_suppl) ◽  
pp. 133-133
Author(s):  
Reginald Tucker-Seeley ◽  
Weizhou Tang ◽  
Leora Steinberg ◽  
Stephanie Banks ◽  
Hilma Bolton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Bladder Cancer ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Financial Toxicity ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Long Course

133 Background: Due to a long course of surveillance, and for some patients, multimodal therapy with chemotherapy and surgery, bladder cancer (BC) can present a financial burden to the household. Yet, there are several terms used to describe this burden such as financial hardship and financial toxicity (FT); and it is unclear whether different measures of financial circumstances are correlated and whether they are associated with quality of life (QOL). The goal of this study was to determine whether FT and financial well-being (FWB) were correlated and to determine whether FT and FWB were similarly associated with QOL among BC patients. Methods: Patients that had BC treatment in the last 2 years were recruited from two NCI designated cancer centers for our study (N = 100). The Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST) was used to assess FT, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) FWB measure was used to assess FWB, and a BC-specific Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT) questionnaire was used to assess physical, social, emotional, and functional domains of QOL. Bivariate analyses were conducted to determine the association among FT, FWB, and QOL; and separate logistic regression analyses predicting FT and FWB were used to determine the association between FT and FWB and each domain of QOL. Results: Bivariate results showed that FT and FWB were highly negatively correlated (r = -.76; p < .0001); however, only FWB was correlated with the total QOL score (p < .05). FT was correlated with physical (p < .01), emotional (p < .05), and functional (p < .05) QOL; and FWB was correlated with physical (p < .05) and functional (p < .05) QOL. Logistic regression models adjusted for socioeconomic and demographic characteristics showed that those reporting higher physical QOL (OR = 1.18; CI: 1.04-1.35) and higher functional QOL (OR = 1. 15; CI: 1.03-1.28) had higher odds of reporting high FWB. Conclusions: Given the surveillance and treatment processes for BC patients, it is important to better understand their financial circumstances as they are navigating and managing care. Our results suggest that physical and functional QOL is relevant for predicting FWB, but after considering socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, no domain of QOL was a significant predictor of FT among BC patients.

Short and long term impact of financial toxicity on quality of life in the Carolina Breast Cancer study.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18299-e18299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Spencer ◽  
Katherine Elizabeth Reeder-Hayes ◽  
Laura C Pinheiro ◽  
Lisa A. Carey ◽  
Andrew F Olshan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cancer Treatment ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Cancer Diagnosis ◽  
White Women ◽  
Financial Burden ◽  
Financial Toxicity ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients

e18299 Background: High cancer treatment costs are associated with considerable distress and worse outcomes in cancer patients, a phenomenon known as “financial toxicity”. We examined changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among women experiencing financial toxicity after cancer diagnosis compared to cancer patients without financial toxicity in a racially diverse cohort of breast cancer patients. Methods: HRQoL was self-reported at approximately 5 and 25 months post-diagnosis using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment (FACT-G) in a prospective, population-based, cohort study with oversampling of Black and young (<50 years old) women. Women reported on the financial burden of their breast cancer, including whether they had declined or delayed care due to cost or transportation barriers and whether they lost a job, experienced a reduction in household income, or lost insurance coverage after their cancer diagnosis. We assessed changes in HRQoL from 5 to 25 months according to financial toxicity experience. Results: 2,432 women completed 5- and 25-month HRQoL surveys and were included in analyses. Forty-nine percent were non-Hispanic Black and 51% were non-Hispanic White; other minorities were excluded due to small numbers. Overall, 49% of women reported at least one indicator of financial toxicity (59% Black vs. 39% White). Women who reported any financial toxicity had significantly lower scores on the FACT-G at baseline (75.5 vs 87.2, p<0.001) and reported significantly less improvement in HRQoL from 5- to 25-months than women who did not report financial toxicity (incremental difference: +1.4 vs +3.8, p=.01). Black women reported lower overall HRQoL than White women (p=0.03), but impact of financial toxicity on HRQOL was similar among black and white women in stratified analyses. Conclusions: Financial toxicity is associated with lower HRQoL and with less improvement in HRQoL in the two years following breast cancer diagnosis. [Table: see text]

scholarly journals Comparison of the Quality of Life of Patients with Breast or Colon Cancer with an Arm Vein Port (TIVAD) Versus a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC)

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 1495-1506
Author(s):  
Brent Burbridge ◽  
Hyun Lim ◽  
Lynn Dwernychuk ◽  
Ha Le ◽  
Tehmina Asif ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Venous Access ◽  
Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter ◽  
Central Catheter ◽  
Access Device ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Venous Access Device

Introduction: Venous access is a crucial element in chemotherapy delivery. It remains unclear whether cancer patients prefer a port to a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC). Our study aimed to assess cancer patients’ satisfaction with their venous access device and to compare the quality of life (QoL) of subjects with a PICC to those with a port. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, EORTC QLQ-C30, and a locally developed quality of life survey (QLAVD), designed to assess satisfaction with venous access devices, were administered to breast or colorectal cancer patients over a one-year period following the device insertion. Mixed effects models were used to assess changes on mean scores at different time points. Results: A total of 101 patients were recruited over a three-year period, (PICC group, n = 50; port group, n = 51). Survey response rates for months one and three were 72% and 48%, respectively. Overall, no significant differences were noted between the two groups in relation to EORTC QOL. At three months, the mean pain scores were 3.5 ± 2.3 for the port and 1.3 ± 0.75 for PICC (<0.001). The mean score for a negative effect of the venous access device on psychosocial well-being was 6.0 ± 4.1 for PICC and 3.0 ± 2.7 for the port (p = 0.005). Complications related to PICCs occurred in 38% patients versus 41% with a port (p > 0.24). Conclusions: Although subjects with a port experienced more pain during the device insertion or access for chemotherapy, it had a smaller negative impact on psychosocial scores than the PICC. No significant differences in complications rates were observed between the two devices.

L'Impatto Della Patologia Neoplastica Sullo Stato di Benessere Del Paziente

1998 ◽  
Vol 84 (1_suppl1) ◽  
pp. S20-S23
Author(s):  
Enrico Cortesi ◽  
E. Ballatori ◽  
P. Casali ◽  
E. Cortesi ◽  
M. Costantini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Family Relationship ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Common Interest ◽  
Careful Study ◽  
Medical Environment ◽  
Disease Information

The peculiar characteristics of the italian neoplastic patients, as far as their knowledge concerning the disease (information, prognosis, therapeutic options, etc) and the different cultural, environmental and health realities, place different problems on the routine application of the quality of life questionnaires wich were constructed and edited in North European or North American Countries, even if correctly translated and validated in Italy. The QVonc (Quality of Life in Oncology) Project started five years ago from the common interest of medical oncologists who felt the need to make a careful study on some aspects regarding the evaluation of italian patient's quality of life. A multidisciplinary working group, comprehensive of statisticians, epidemiologists, psychologists, nurses and methodologists, was then put together. During the last three years the Group produced a deep analysis of the different aspects and determinants of the italian patient's quality of life, mainly about their disease and medical environment perception. A prospective research was started in 1995 with the aims of identifying the contents of quality of life, using a sample of cancer patients as “experts” and of measuring the relevance of selected contents in different subgroups of patients. In the first study the quality of life dimensions were analysed as perceived from 248 neoplastic patients, uniformely and randomly distributed for pathology and place of residence in Italy, through an open questionnaire and interviews conducted by our psychologists. Some peculiar aspects of the quality of life perception in italian patients were evidenced: relationship with the family, with the medical team and health facilities, economic problems and occupational difficulties. The study confirmed that the information on the contents of quality of life can be derived only studying people suffering the specific disease and cast a doubt on the available QL instruments currently used. The second study evaluated the quality of life perception in 6939 consecutive cancer patients referred in the second week of July 1996 to 79 Italian medical oncology/radiotherapy Institutions. Patients were asked to fill out a questionnaire concerning the importance of 46 domains of QL, each one scored on 4 levels (not at all, a little, much and very much). Domains were derived from a previous content analysis of 268 pts answers to 4 questions related to their own QL: “in your experience, what is QL?”, “what is a bad QL?”, “what is a good QL?”, “Did the diagnosis and treatment received modify your QL?”. 6939 patients entered the study; of these, 820 (11.8%) did not fill out the questionnaire due to various reasons. Among the 6,119 evaluable pts, the most frequent cancers were: breast (2,328), colo-rectal (968), lung (517), lymphoma (351), gastric (225). The most frequently chosen domains (much or very much) were related to health facilities or communication between patient-physician/nurse. Family relationship and general well being were also found important, while from the negative perspective the presence of the disease and the related anxiety were the most relevant problems. In conclusion, when choosing or constructing QL instruments, at least for Italian cancer pts, factors such as health facilities and pt ‘- physician/nurse relationship should be more adequately considered. Most currently used QL questionnaires are probably lacking in this regard.

scholarly journals Key Factors Contributing to Quality of Life for Breast Cancer Patients in Latvia: Supplementing Quantitative Surveys with Qualitative Interviews

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnese Dzērvīte ◽  
Maruta Pranka ◽  
Tana Lace ◽  
Ritma Rungule ◽  
Edvins Miklasevics ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Key Factors

Summary Introduction. Health related quality of life is a much debated topic in medicine with much quantitative and qualitative research contributing to the understanding of how to improve the lives of patients, yet little has been published in relation to the quality of life of Latvian breast cancer patients. Aim of the Study. To gather base measurements of subjective and objective quality of life factors for breast cancer patients in Latvia and discover which key factors contribute most to quality of life of Latvian breast cancer patients at the start of treatment. Materials and Methods. This paper presents data collected from April 2010 to June 2011 at the Pauls Stradins Clinical University hospital on key factors influencing quality of life for breast cancer patients: health and physical well-being; state of surroundings and environment; social support and functionality; financial state, employment and leisure. Quantitative survey material has been supplemented with insight from qualitative in-depth interviews to better explain the objective and subjective implications for breast cancer patients’ quality of life. Results. Interviewed breast cancer patients rated their quality of life as being average or good at the beginning of treatment. Negative factors contributing to lowered quality of life were mainly linked to patient financial, social and emotional state at the first weeks of treatment and correspond to previous research done in Latvia on quality of life issues. Conclusions. Further follow-up surveys will contribute to the evaluation of breast cancer patients’ needs while undergoing treatment to further improve treatment strategies, especially if validated quality of life measurement surveys were to be implemented in Latvian hospitals.

Quality of Life and Well-Being of Breast Cancer Patients

2020 ◽  
pp. 67-94
Author(s):  
Melisa Anderson ◽  
Dwayne Tucker ◽  
Fabian G. Miller ◽  
Kurt Vaz ◽  
Lennox Anderson-Jackson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Physical Aspect ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Malignant Breast

Breast cancer is a disease in which there is increased proliferation of malignant breast cells. This disease is more likely to begin in the ducts or lobules rather than the connective tissue. Globally, breast cancer is the most regularly diagnosed cancer. It is also a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in females. While cancer of the breast affects the physical aspect of patients, it can also negatively impact the quality of life (QoL) of survivors. There is a dearth of information, especially in the last decade, on the negative impact of breast cancer and treatment modalities on the QoL of patients. This review of the literature will examine the QoL and well-being of breast cancer patients to present a current perspective on the topic. Major findings of past and present articles that have contributed to improving the care of breast cancer patients will be summarized and included.

Spiritual well-being associated with personality traits and quality of life in family caregivers of cancer patients

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 2633-2640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Vespa ◽  
Roberta Spatuzzi ◽  
Fabiana Merico ◽  
Marica Ottaviani ◽  
Paolo Fabbietti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Spiritual Well Being

scholarly journals Effects of Different Exercise Interventions on Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 153473541988059
Author(s):  
Tetiana Odynets ◽  
Yuriy Briskin ◽  
Valentina Todorova
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Exercise Interventions ◽  
Water Exercise ◽  
Group A ◽  
Group B

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of different exercise interventions on quality of life parameters in breast cancer patients during 1 year of outpatient rehabilitation. Material and Methods: A total of 115 breast cancer patients met the eligibility criteria and completed the study. Participants were randomly allocated for the water exercise interventions (group A, n = 45), for the Pilates exercise interventions (group B, n = 40), and yoga exercise interventions (group C, n = 30). The 3 groups attended relevant programs for 1 year and received 144 rehabilitation sessions. Quality of life parameters were assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy questionnaire with a specific module for breast cancer patients (FACT-B). Quality of life data were recorded at baseline and after 6 and 12 months of exercise interventions. Results: A significant increase in quality of life indicators was observed in participants of all groups. Based on the results of the 12-month monitoring, patients of group A scored significantly more points for emotional well-being compared with group B and group C by 1.40 points ( P < .05) and 1.69 points ( P < .01), respectively, as well as by breast cancer subscale by 2.15 points ( P < .05) compared with group B. Patients in group C scored significantly better compared with group A in social/family well-being by 2.80 points ( P < .01). Conclusions: It was found that using water exercise intervention is more effective for improving emotional well-being and decreasing negative symptoms associated with breast cancer treatment compared with Pilates and yoga interventions, while yoga was more effective in improving social/family well-being. Further research on water interventions for different populations is warranted.

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