Financial Support

The American Cancer Society estimates that 10,380 children under age 15 and about 5,000 teens aged 15 to 19 will be diagnosed with cancer this year in the United States. The rate of children surviving cancer for 5 years or more is growing thanks to improved treatment, but so is the rate of children and teens who are diagnosed with cancer.

Few people are prepared for the financial burdens that can be associated with chronic illness, which is particularly true of cancer. The financial burden of cancer treatment in the United States is approximately $20,000 to $30,000 annually in out-of-pocket costs to the patient.

The costs of cancer have always been a concern, but new studies show that this concern will affect more than just your bank account.

The cost of cancer care continues to climb. With the cost of newer cancer therapies reaching $10,000 to $60,000 or more a month, many patients are facing serious financial difficulties.

Although patients may have insurance coverage for the drug they need, often the insurance doesn’t cover all the costs, and the patient may need help with expensive health insurance premium and copayment costs, transportation to the site of service, nursing help, and other services.

As the US population ages, the number of patients diagnosed with and treated for cancer will increase. Cancer costs are also likely to increase, as new and more expensive treatments, such as targeted therapies that are specifically directed at the tumor, become the standards of care.

Although the incidence of childhood cancer has been increasing over the past 30 years, advances in treatment have also led to increased survival rates.

People really want to be supportive, but often they need to be told what will really help. It’s not always easy to figure out how best to support you and your loved ones.

Read through the “8 empowering C’s of coping with cancer” as introduced by Allison Schaffer, LCSW, at a SURVIVORville meeting.

For patients with cancer, risk factors for infertility include the patient’s fertility levels before treatment, type of cancer treatment, and age.

Here is Tracy Foster, President of Lash Group, a part of AmerisourceBergen, with financial advice for those dealing with cancer care costs.