Abstract 1012: Financial hardship in breast cancer survivors
Authors: Storandt Michael H. , Durani Urshila , Stan Daniela , Larson Nicole , Loprinzi Charles , Couch Fergus , Olson Janet E. , Khera Nandita , Ruddy Kathryn J. 
Published: June 2022

Background: Medical financial hardship, encompassing material, behavioral, and psychologic domains, is becoming an increasingly common consequence of illness in cancer patients. Identifying at-risk patients is the first step to develop proactive approaches to mitigate this problem. To try and address this need, Mayo Clinic Breast Disease Registry (MCBDR) is prospectively collecting data about financial concerns in addition to the usual sociodemographic and clinical information.

Methods: We used data from Mayo Clinic Breast Disease Registry, a prospective cohort of consenting patients seen at Mayo Clinic Rochester within one year of initial breast cancer diagnosis. Participants completed baseline and annual follow-up surveys rating their financial concerns on a linear analogue scale from 0 (“none”) to 10 (“constant concerns”). We compared patient-reported financial concern at baseline to that on each patient’s most recent survey, with worsening concerns defined as a 1+-point increase. Logistic regression evaluated for predictors of worsening financial concerns.

Results: 1,957 participants responded to financial concern questions on a baseline and at least one follow-up survey between 2015 and 2020. Mean age was 58.5 years (SD 12.5), and mean time between diagnosis and the most recent follow-up was 25.6 months (SD 16.2). 357 (18.2%) reported worsening financial concerns. Only lower baseline financial status was associated with a greater likelihood of worsening financial concerns (see Table). Conclusions: More than one in seven breast cancer survivors develop worsening financial concerns within 5-years of diagnosis, and those with less financial security at baseline appear to be most vulnerable.

Funding: Breast Cancer Research Foundation (CLL) and NR015259 (KJR).

Patient and tumor characteristics, compared by whether financial status worsened over time Full Cohort (n=1957) Worsening, ≥ 1-point change (n=357) Stable/Improved (n=1600) p value Full Cohort (n=1957) Worsening, ≥ 1-point change (n=357) Stable/Improved (n=1600) p value Age at diagnosis II or III 502 (25.7%) 98 (27.5%) 404 (25.3%) 0.239 ≤ 50 546 (27.9%) 105 (29.4%) 441 (27.6%) IV 67 (3.4%) 17 (4.8%) 50 (3.1%) 0.086 51-64 757 (38.7%) 136 (38.1%) 621 (38.8%) 0.562 Unknown 351 (17.9%) 65 (18.2%) 286 (17.9%) 0.536 ≥65 654 (33.4%) 116 (32.5%) 538 (33.6%) 0.506 ER and/or PR positive Race No/Unknown 482 (24.6%) 92 (25.8%) 390 (24.4%) White 1863 (95.2%) 337 (94.4%) 1526 (95.4%) Yes 1475 (75.4%) 265 (74.2%) 1210 (75.6%) 0.580 Non-white 24 (1.2%) 5 (1.4%) 19 (1.2%) 0.729 Her2 positive Other/Unknown/Choose not to respond 70 (3.6%) 15 (4.2%) 55 (3.4%) 0.478 No/Unknown 1746 (89.2%) 314 (88.0%) 1432 (89.5%) Educational status Yes 176 (9.0%) 37 (10.4%) 139 (8.7%) 0.321 Less than bachelor’s degree 880 (45.0%) 168 (47.1%) 712 (44.5%) Borderline 35 (1.8%) 6 (1.7%) 29 (1.8%) 0.898 Bachelor's degree or higher 1065 (54.4%) 187 (52.4%) 878 (54.9%) 0.384 Radiation Unknown 12 (0.6%) 2 (0.6%) 10 (0.6%) 0.832 No/Unknown 781 (39.9%) 140 (39.2%) 641 (40.1%) Financial status near time of diagnosis Yes 1176 (60.1%) 217 (60.8%) 959 (59.9%) 0.768 Pay bills, money for special things 1412 (72.2%) 244 (68.3%) 1168 (73.0%) Chemotherapy/targeted therapy Pay bills, no money for special things 367 (18.8%) 80 (22.4%) 287 (17.9%) 0.046 No/Unknown 1264 (64.6%) 221 (61.9%) 1043 (65.2%) Pay bills by making cuts 102 (5.2%) 19 (5.3%) 83 (5.2%) 0.729 Yes 693 (35.4%) 136 (38.1%) 557 (34.8%) 0.241 Unable to pay bills 56 (2.9%) 10 (2.8%) 46 (2.9%) 0.911 Hormone/endocrine therapy Unknown 20 (1.0%) 4 (1.1%) 16 (1.0%) 0.750 No/Unknown 710 (36.3%) 141 (39.5%) 569 (35.6%) Employment status at time of diagnosis Yes 1247 (63.7%) 216 (60.5%) 1031 (64.4%) 0.163 Employed full-time 462 (23.6%) 83 (23.2%) 379 (23.7%) Surgery type Employed part-time/unemployed/retired 525 (26.8%) 92 (25.8%) 433 (27.1%) 0.856 Lumpectomy 846 (43.2%) 145 (40.6%) 701 (43.8%) Not available 970 (49.6%) 182 (51.0%) 788 (49.3%) 0.716 Mastectomy 903 (46.1%) 165 (46.2%) 738 (46.1%) 0.535 Stage at time of diagnosis None/Unknown 208 (10.6%) 47 (13.2%) 161 (10.1%) 0.069 0 or I 1037 (53.0%) 177 (49.6%) 860 (53.8%)

Citation Format: Michael H. Storandt, Urshila Durani, Daniela Stan, Nicole Larson, Charles Loprinzi, Fergus Couch, Janet E. Olson, Nandita Khera, Kathryn J. Ruddy. Financial hardship in breast cancer survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1012.