Abstract
Background
Cancer survivors (CS) skipping follow-up appointments, discontinuing their prescriptions, and prolonging or refusing medical care have all been connected to financial stress spurred on by the disease. The aim of the study is to estimate the direct and indirect cost of breast cancer with the quality of life of breast cancer patients receiving treatment in a public hospital setting in Lahore, Pakistan.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted on females with breast cancer, and the instrument used was: a FACIT-B Version 4 questionnaire, and a demographic/clinical characteristics section, and given to a random sample of 130 Pakistani women. Data analysis included descriptive analysis, independent sample t-test, and ANOVA test.
Results
According to the survey, the average cost of illness was $218.14 per month, varying from $40.82 to $1367.42 per month. A significant difference was observed in terms of Physical Well-being (PWB) among the cost of food. We had not found any significant difference in terms of any direct and indirect cost of breast cancer treatment. There was a statistically significant relationship between the stage of cancer and entitlement with the socioeconomic status of the patient.
Conclusion
The study's findings offer detailed insight into the financial hardship faced by breast cancer patients’ families and propose potential policy implications. Future studies should examine different subgroups’ financial experiences in order to better identify people who are at risk and provide tailored solutions.
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