A recent article published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology Journal explored the impact that Financial Toxicity has on pancreatic cancer patients. Financial Toxicity is a term used to describe the overall financial burden that is placed on cancer patients and their families, and how their quality of life and treatment adherence are impacted by treatment-related costs. The concern for experiencing financial toxicity during and after treatment for pancreatic cancer is greater than most other cancers, with pancreatic cancer patients facing some of the highest year-to-year costs of care.
For researchers to understand how financial toxicity affects pancreatic cancer patients, they administered questionnaires from June 2022 to June 2023 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to patients with the most common type of pancreatic cancer – pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Over the course of the year, 1,162 patients met the full criteria of the study and were evaluated.
Of the 1,162 pancreatic cancer patients who completed questionnaires in this study, they found that 43% of the patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center were traveling in from out of state, whereas only 22% lived locally.
They also found that 23% of the pancreatic cancer patients surveyed were experiencing financial toxicity, with nearly half stating that they were paying for their treatments with their savings, and some who said they had no savings at all. Pancreatic cancer patients experiencing financial toxicity also noted that they had taken on new debts to maintain their treatments, most commonly borrowing from family or friends.
Both patients who were and were not experiencing financial toxicity (15%) stated that they had skipped medications due to costs. However, at the end of the article, the researchers state that their question did not specify whether the medication nonadherence was related to their treatment for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma or any other medications they may have been taking.
With all of the data that the researchers were able to collect about financial toxicity, they found a correlation between those experiencing financial toxicity and a negative impact on the patient’s quality of life.
Seeking Help When Dealing With Financial Toxicity
In an article published by the American Cancer Society in 2023, they reviewed two studies conducted around the use of GoFundMe to seek financial support during or after cancer treatments.
The first study mentioned in the article focused on data collected from over 100,000 cancer-related GoFundMe’s, and while pancreatic cancer was not one of the main cancers listed in the study, researchers were able to note the specific ways that those evaluated were affected.
Over 90% of the GoFundMe’s were centered around the impact that their cancer treatment had on their job by either a loss of income or a lack of sick leave. It also noted that close to 50% of adult cancer patients were looking to cover their medical costs, while a smaller percentage also noted they needed to cover housing, food, and transportation costs.
The second study provided in the article by the American Cancer Society reviewed a much larger investigation where GoFundMe campaigns as a whole from 2012 to 2022 were evaluated. During those 10 years, medical campaigns accounted for 21.3% of all campaigns, and nearly 41% of those campaigns were cancer-related.
The primary focus of the study centered around how much GoFundMe has been able to crowdsource and how those funds were allocated. Through their research they found that the average amount earned for a cancer-related GoFundMe was about $7,860.
How Project Purple Can Help With Pancreatic Cancer-Related Financial Toxicity
If you or someone you know is experiencing the effects of financial toxicity, Project Purple offers assistance through our dedicated and innovative programs, such as Patient Financial Aid and Nutrition Assistance.
We understand that the weight of treatment-related financial toxicity can become overwhelming and that many patients have to stop working due to side effects related to their treatment, which include nausea, extreme fatigue, and many other side effects.
To combat this and allow patients to focus on their treatment, Project Purple offers support with both medical and day-to-day expenses through the Patient Financial Aid Program. Patient aid has never been denied to qualified patients.
Project Purple has also partnered with Nutré Meals to provide meal assistance to those actively in treatment for pancreatic cancer. As determined by the needs of each applicant, 2 or 4 months of meals will be provided to the pancreatic cancer patients and their families. Once accepted into the program, patients or their caretakers will be able to access weekly meals with dietary restrictions such as gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, diabetic-friendly, low-sodium, low-carb, low-calorie, or vegetarian meal plans. As these are fresh meals that are not frozen, this program is currently only available in MA, NH, RI, CT, VT, ME, NY, NJ, PA.
For more information on the Patient Financial Aid Program and how to apply, click here.
For more information on the Nutrition Assistance Program and how to apply, click here.
You can help pancreatic cancer patients and their families relieve some of the burdens of financial toxicity with a donation to our Purple 360 program. All donations to this particular fund are directed to patient aid. Click here to donate now.
