Coping with the financial burden of breast cancer
https://www.facingourrisk.org/XRAY/financial-burden-breast-cancer
Full article: https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2017-10-19/the-financial-cost-of-breast-cancer
U.S. News & World Report recently talked to three breast cancer survivors, including two young women, about how they handled out-of-pocket costs and other medical expenses after their cancer diagnosis. (Posted 1/4/18)
Questions To Ask Your Health Care Provider
- How much will my treatment cost? Will my insurance cover my treatment costs? Do you work with patient navigators, oncology social workers, or financial counselors who can help me cope with the financial burden of my cancer care?
- What organizations or patient assistance programs can help provide me with financial assistance?
- Are there any options or financial arrangements that will allow me to pay my treatment costs over time?
- Are there open clinical trials that are appropriate for me?
- If alternative treatments are available, what are the benefits, risks and costs of each?
Open Clinical Trials
- NCT03572374: Talking to Employers and Medical Staff About Breast Cancer Treatment and Your Job (TEAMWORK Study). The purpose of the TEAMWork study is to learn more about how being treated for breast cancer affects patients' employment. Researchers are testing an early version of a mobile app called TEAMWork (Talking to Employers And Medical staff about Work) that is designed to help breast cancer patients keep their jobs during and after treatment.
- NCT02333604: Cancer Experience Registry. This is a web-based registry that distributes surveys to better understand the social, emotional, physical, financial and decision-making experiences of cancer patients and their caregivers.
- NCT04960787: Financial Navigation Program to Improve Understanding and Management of Financial Aspects of Cancer Care for Patients and Their Spouses. This clinical trial examines a financial navigation program in helping patients and their spouses understand and better manage the financial aspects of cancer care.
- NCT04931251: Addressing Cancer-Related Financial Toxicity in Rural Oncology Care Settings. The purpose of this study is to conduct a financial navigation program in 5 rural and 4 non-rural oncology practices in North Carolina and evaluate the effects of financial navigation on patient outcomes, including financial toxicity and health-related quality of life.
- NCT04766190: DISCO: A Patient Intervention to Reduce the Financial Burden of Cancer. The DISCO App is designed to improve patient and doctor communication about costs of care.
About FORCE
FORCE is a national nonprofit organization, established in 1999. Our mission is to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by adult hereditary cancers.