Tackling the next taboo in cancer: the urgency of talking about and addressing financial toxicity

Abstract

Financial toxicity is associated with greater levels of distress and poorer disease management, quality of life and even survival for people living with and beyond cancer. Cancer care providers need to recognize this growing burden and the adverse effects it can have regardless of the type and stage of cancer, and the nature of the health care systems. Our discussions with cancer team members in Québec’s (Canada) publicly funded universal health care system reveal that they consider themselves illequipped and lack time to address financial toxicity, and that no professional is formally designated to address the financial concerns cancer creates for patients and caregivers. Similar findings have been reported in many countries, demonstrating that financial toxicity remains under-addressed in present professional practice. Efforts are long overdue to overcome the taboo around the financial burden of cancer and bring awareness about it to support patients living with and beyond cancer. Our aim is to increase awareness of financial toxicity with arguments around the knowledge-to-practice gap, strategies to increase awareness, ways to overcome barriers to intervention, and required learning.