The Relationship Between Cancer Diagnosis and Patient Productivity, Caregiver Burden, and Personal Financial Hardship
February 9, 2017
Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States, and an estimated 1.6 million newly diagnosed patients are expected in 2016. However, recent research indicates that overall cancer death rates in the United States have decreased by 1.5% per year from 2003-2012. There were more than 15.5 million survivors alive at the beginning of 2016; this number is expected to increase to 20.3 million in 2017.3 Research has shown that the impact of cancer extends beyond clinical treatments and can cause financial hardship for patients and their families.4 However, not as much is known about the impact of cancer on productivity and the economic burden on caregivers. The following study aimed to determine the prevalence and sources of financial hardship among cancer survivors and their caregivers.
