Financial toxicity among people with cancer undergoing systemic therapy

a cross-sectional study

Authors

Keywords:

Oncology Nursing, Financial Resources in Health, Financial Stress, Neoplasms, Antineoplastic Agents

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the relationship between financial toxicity and the sociodemographic/clinical characteristics of people with cancer undergoing systemic antineoplastic therapy.

Method: A cross-sectional study conducted between May and October 2023 at a hospital that is a reference for cancer treatments in southern Brazil. The sample was comprised by 100 participants and the data were collected from clinical records and interviews, using the COmprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity instrument. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Student's t test, Pearson's correlation and Multiple linear regression.

Results: A mild impact was mostly identified for financial toxicity (66%), noticing that the patients' income represented a predictor of financial toxicity (β=0.253; p<0.05).

Conclusion: The importance of evaluating this factor in cancer care is noted, aiming at better treatment adherence and well-being in the patients.

Author Biographies

Rafael de Lima Carmo, Federal University of the Southern Border, Chapecó, SC, Brazil.

Nurse, Master's student in Nursing, Federal University of the Southern Border, Chapecó, SC, Brazil.

Rhumer Franco Batista, Federal University of the Southern Border, Chapecó, SC, Brazil.

Nursing student, Federal University of the Southern Border, Chapecó, SC, Brazil.

Willian Lorentz, Federal University of the Southern Border, Chapecó, SC, Brazil.

Nurse, Master's student in Nursing, Federal University of the Southern Border, Chapecó, SC, Brazil.

Jeferson Santos Araújo, Federal University of the Southern Border, Chapecó, SC, Brazil.

Nurse, PhD in Sciences, Professor at the Federal University of the Southern Border, Chapecó, SC, Brazil.

Cristina Mara Zamarioli, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.

Nurse, PhD in Health Sciences, Professor at the University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.

Vander Monteiro da Conceição, Federal University of the Southern Border, Chapecó, SC, Brazil.

Nurse, PhD in Sciences, Professor at the Federal University of the Southern Border, Chapecó, SC, Brazil.

References

1. Sánchez-Román S, Chavarri-Guerra Y, Vargas-Huicochea I, Alvarez del Río A, Bernal Pérez P, Morales Alfaro A, et al. Financial toxicity among older mexican adults with cancerand their families: a mixed-methods study. JCO Glob Oncol [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2025 Jul 1];8:e2100324. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1200/GO.21.00324

2. Abrams HR, Durbin S, Huang CX, Johnson SF, Nayak RK, Zahner GJ, et al. Financial toxicity in cancer care: origins, impact, and solutions. Transl Behav Med [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2025 Jul 3];11(11):2043-54. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibab091

3. Nogueira LA, Machado CAM, Marques ACB, Kalinke LP. Implications of financial toxicity in the lives of cancer patients: a reflection. Rev Gaúcha Enferm [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2025 Jul 3];42:e20200095. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-1447.2021.20200095

4. Nogueira LA, Lenhani BE, Tomim DH, Kalinke LP. Financial Toxicity. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2025 Jul 1];21(2):289-93. Available from: https://doi.org/10.31557/APJCP.2020.21.2.289

5. Nogueira AL, Koller FJ, Marcondes L, Mantovani MF, Marcon SS, Guimarães PRB, et al. Validation of the comprehensive score for financial toxicity for Brazilian culture. Ecancermedicalscience [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2025 Jul 1];14:1158. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2020.1158

6. Thomas T, Hughes T, Mady LJ, Belcher SM. Financial toxicity: a review of the literature and nursing opportunities. CJON [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2025 Jul 2];23(5):5-13. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1188/19.cjon.s2.5-13

7. Polit DF, Beck CT. Fundamentos de Pesquisa em Enfermagem: avaliação de evidências para a prática de enfermagem. 9 ed Porto Alegre: Artmed, 2018. 456 p.

8. Marotti J, Galhardo APM, Furuyama RJ, Pigozzo MN, de Campos TN, Laganá DC. Amostragem em pesquisa clínica: tamanho da amostra. Rev Odontol Univ São Paulo [Internet]. 2008 [cited 2025 Jul 1];20(2):186-194. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285800533_Amostragem_em_pesquisa_clinica_Tamanho_da_amostra

9. Nepomuceno E, Silva LN, da Cunha DCP, Furuya RK, Simões MV, Dantas RAS. Comparison of tools for assessing fatigue in patients with heart failure. Rev Bras Enferm [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2025 Jul 2];71(5):2404-10. Available from: http://doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2017-0083

10. Manzato RO, Ciol MA, Bolela F, Dessotte CAM, Rossi LA, Dantas RAS. The effect of reinforcing an educational programme using telephone follow‐up on health‐related quality of life of individuals using warfarin: a randomised controlled trial. JCN [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2025 Jul 4];30(19-20):3011-22. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15811

11. Honda K, Gyawali B, Ando M, Sugiyama K, Mitani S, Masuishi T, et al. A prospective survey of comprehensive score for financial toxicity in Japanese cancer patients: report on a pilot study. Ecancermedicalscience. [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2025 Oct 14];12:847. Available from: http://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2018.847

12. Schneider A, Hommel G, Blettner M. Linear regression analysis: part 14 of a series on evaluation of scientific publications. Dtsch Arztebl Int [Internet]. 2010 [cited 2025 Jul 1];107(44):776-82. Available from: http://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.2010.0776

13. Corrêa LH, Siqueira MM, Maluf FC. An assessment of legislative responses to cancer in Brazil’s House of Representatives. J Cancer Policy [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2025 Jul 2];37:100429. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpo.2023.100429

14. Leopold C, Haffajee RL, Lu CY, Wagner AK. The complex cancer care coverage environment - what is the role of legislation? A case study from Massachusetts. J L Med & Ethics [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2025 Jul 1];48(3):538-51. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/1073110520958879

15. Hussaini SMQ, Ren Y, Racioppi A, Lew MV, Bohannon L, Johnson E, et al. Financial toxicity and quality of life in patients undergoing stem-cell transplant evaluation: a single-center analysis. JCO Oncol Pract [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2025 Jul 2];20(3):351-60. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1200/OP.23.00243

16. Noel CW, Hueniken K, Forner D, Liu G, Eng L, Hosni A, et al. Association of household income at diagnosis with financial toxicity, health utility, and survival in patients with head and neck cancer. JAMA Otolaryngology [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2025 Jul 1];149(1):63-70. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoto.2022.3755

17. Arastu A, Patel A, Mohile SG, Ciminelli J, Kaushik R, Wells M, et al. Assessment of financial toxicity among older adults with advanced cancer. JAMA Netw Open [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2025 Jul 1];3(12):e2025810. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.25810

18. Skinner A, Buhlmann M, Fridley BL, Reed DR, Vicedo D, Mason NT. Pilot study in investigating material financial toxicity markers by age in cancer Patients. J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2025 Jul 2];12(1):34-42. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1089/jayao.2022.0011

19. Petruzzi LJ, Prezio E, Phillips F, Smith B, Currin-McCulloch J, Blevins C, et al. An exploration of financial toxicity among low-income patients with cancer in Central Texas: A mixed methods analysis. Palliat Support Care [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2025 Jul 2];21(3):411-21. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1478951522000256

20. Chan K, Sepassi A, Saunders IM, Goodman A, Watanabe JH. Effects of financial toxicity on prescription drug use and mental well-being in cancer patients. Explor Res Clin Soc Pharm [Internet]. 2022 [cited 2025 Jul 1];6:100136. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsop.2022.100136

Published

2025-12-10

How to Cite

Carmo, R. de L., Batista, R. F., Lorentz, W., Araújo, J. S., Zamarioli, C. M., & da Conceição, V. M. (2025). Financial toxicity among people with cancer undergoing systemic therapy: a cross-sectional study. Cogitare Enfermagem, 31. Retrieved from https://revistas.ufpr.br/cogitare/article/view/100790

Issue

Section

ORIGINAL ARTICLE