Addressing the Financial Burden of Cancer Treatment: From Copay to Can't Pay.

Patients with cancer spend a substantial amount of money on health care services and are at higher risk for financial hardship, including personal bankruptcy, than the general population. 1 Evidence that this so-called financial toxicity has a negative impact on clinical outcomes is emerging. High out-of-pocket spending on cancer treatment has been shown in recent studies to be associated with decreased treatment adherence and poorer quality of life. 2-4 The growing intersection between the financial and clinical aspects of cancer care represents an emerging challenge to the oncology community. In this article, we present 5 strategies to address the financial burden of cancer treatment.