The aim of this study is to examine predictors of cancer-related financial difficulties and work modifications in a national sample of cancer survivors.
Using the 2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and Experiences with Cancer Survivorship Supplement, the prevalence of financial difficulties and work modifications was examined. Logistic regression and survey weights were used to model these outcomes as functions of sociodemographic and health covariates separately among survivors in active treatment and survivors under age 65 years.
Among all survivors, 33.2 % reported any financial concern, with 17.9 % reporting financial difficulties such as debt or bankruptcy. Among working survivors, 44.0 % made any work modification and 15.3 % made long-term work modifications (e.g., delayed or early retirement). Among those in active treatment, predictors of financial difficulty included: race/ethnicity other than white, non-Hispanic [OR = 8.0; 95 % CI 2.2-28.4]; income <200 % of federal poverty level (FPL) [OR = 15.7; 95 % CI 2.6-95.2] or between 200 and 400 % of FPL [OR = 8.2; 95 % CI 1.3-51.4]; residence in a non-metropolitan service area [OR = 6.4; 95 % CI 1.6-25.0]; and good/fair/poor self-rated health [OR = 3.8; 95 % CI 1.0-14.2]. Among survivors under age 65 years, predictors of long-term work modifications included good/fair/poor self-rated health [OR = 4.1; 95 % CI 1.6-10.2], being married [OR = 2.2; 95 % CI 1.0-4.7], uninsured [OR = 3.5; 95 % CI 1.3-9.3], or publicly insured [OR = 9.0; 95 % CI 3.3-24.4].
A substantial proportion of cancer survivors experience cancer-related financial difficulties and work modifications, particularly those who report race/ethnicity other than white, non-Hispanic, residence in non-metropolitan areas, worse health status, lower income, and public or no health insurance.
Attention to the economic impact of cancer treatment is warranted across the survivorship trajectory, with particular attention to subgroups at higher risk.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
2
3%
Other
5
8%
Unknown
31
53%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 16. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 15 August 2019.
All research outputs
#2,916,744
of 33,779,198 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Cancer Survivorship
#175
of 1,411 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#29,661
of 297,290 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Cancer Survivorship
#3
of 20 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 33,779,198 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 91st percentile: it's in the top 10% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 1,411 research outputs from this source. They typically receive more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 9.8. This one has done well, scoring higher than 88% of its peers.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 20 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 85% of its contemporaries.
