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Understanding breast cancer survivors’ financial burden and distress after financial assistance

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Abstract

Purpose

Little is known about how breast cancer may impact survivors’ financial well-being. This study aims to investigate the financial status, burden, and opinions of breast cancer survivors who received short-term financial assistance, emotional support, and resource navigation from a community organization during treatment.

Methods

Clients previously served by the community organization were mailed a 16-question survey (n = 751) to elicit their perspective on financial status and burden before, during, and after diagnosis and treatment along with general demographic and opinion items.

Results

136 surveys (18.1%) were returned yielding 118 (15.7%) suitable for analyses. Clients’ average age was 54.3 years. Most were female (99.2%), Caucasian (66.1%), and diagnosed with Stage 1 or 2 breast cancer (58.5%). Clients reported significantly worse (p < 0.001) financial status after being diagnosed compared to before diagnosis. Financial distress was highest during cancer treatment (mean = 3.92, SD = 0.85), lowest prior to treatment (mean = 2.48, SD = 1.05), and remained high after treatment (mean = 3.59, SD = 1.05). Those with higher distress after treatment were significantly (p = 0.01) more likely to report lower social support during treatment.

Conclusions

Breast cancer survivors reported worsening financial status and distress after being diagnosed and during treatment despite receiving short-term financial assistance, emotional support, and resource navigation. Survivors’ financial distress after treatment remained higher than before treatment. However, most felt receiving financial assistance improved their quality of life and made them feel more in control of financial decision-making. Breast cancer survivors who feel they have low social support during treatment may feel higher financial distress posttreatment.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Visiting Nurse Association for their partnership along with all clients who filled out the survey. Additionally, we would like to thank Stephanie Sass, BSW, and Kris Stapp, BSN, RN for their assistance in developing the survey instrument and coordinating logistics.

Funding

This study was supported by Visiting Nurse Association in Omaha, Nebraska, USA.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 984355 Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-4355, USA

    Jessica N. Semin, David Palm & Lynette M. Smith

  2. Visiting Nurse Association, 12565 West Center Road, Suite 100, Omaha, NE, USA

    Sarah Ruttle

Authors
  1. Jessica N. Semin
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  2. David Palm
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  3. Lynette M. Smith
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  4. Sarah Ruttle
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Contributions

Study conception and design: Semin, Palm, Smith.

Acquisition of data: Semin.

Analysis and interpretation of data: Semin, Smith.

Drafting of manuscript: Semin, Palm.

Critical revision: Semin, Palm, Smith, Ruttle.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jessica N. Semin.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This research was conducted in compliance with ethical standards and approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

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Semin, J.N., Palm, D., Smith, L.M. et al. Understanding breast cancer survivors’ financial burden and distress after financial assistance. Support Care Cancer 28, 4241–4248 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-05271-5

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