Breast Cancer Treatment Has Long-Lasting Financial Impact

The cumulative economic toll that breast cancer treatment has on survivors and their families carries long-term financial implications, according to a recent study in the Journal of Supportive Care and Cancer.

In particular, patients who experience lymphedema, a common adverse event associated with breast cancer treatment, were estimated to have out-of-pocket costs approximately 112% higher than those without lymphedema. The average annual out-of-pocket costs for patients with lymphedema were found to be $2306 compared with $1090 for those without the condition.

When the researchers factored in productivity, patients with lymphedema were found to have annual out-of-pocket costs of $3325 compared with $2792 for those without lymphedema.

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