Background/Objectives: Financial distress from the direct and indirect costs of cancer treatment is a critical issue for many patients with breast cancer, particularly those from underserved populations who may be more vulnerable to financial hardship and its negative impacts on quality of life and clinical outcomes (i.e., financial toxicity). Few investigations, however, focus on protective factors that safeguard against financial toxicity. This study explores how social support might reduce financial toxicity among patients with breast cancer who are at high risk for financial hardship.Methods: We analyzed interviews with 41 adult women treated for stage I-IV breast cancer that had been conducted between December 2021 and March 2022. Our study specifically sampled women considered to be at elevated risk for financial toxicity: young adults aged 18–40 years old, Black women, women with lower incomes, and those residing in rural communities. We used deductive and inductive coding to identify themes related to social support.Results: Interviewees reported receiving support from family, friends, and their communities during their treatments. They noted how this social support helped with direct and indirect costs, encouraged emotional wellbeing, and safeguarded against economizing behaviors that offset spending (e.g., financial tradeoffs that jeopardize their treatment plan).Conclusions: Patients with breast cancer from groups vulnerable to financial toxicity often rely on the support of family, friends, and their communities to help buffer financial distress from the costs of treatment. These data highlight social support as an area for future studies exploring strategies to mitigate financial toxicity.
背景/目的：癌症治疗直接与间接成本导致的经济困境是许多乳腺癌患者面临的关键问题，尤其对于医疗服务不足人群而言，他们可能更易遭受经济困难及其对生活质量和临床结局的负面影响（即经济毒性）。然而，目前较少研究关注能够抵御经济毒性的保护性因素。本研究探讨社会支持如何降低具有经济困难高风险的乳腺癌患者的经济毒性。 方法：我们分析了2021年12月至2022年3月期间对41名接受I-IV期乳腺癌治疗的成年女性进行的访谈。本研究特别选取了被认为具有较高经济毒性风险的女性群体：18-40岁青年女性、黑人女性、低收入女性及农村社区女性。采用演绎与归纳编码法识别与社会支持相关的主题。 结果：受访者报告在治疗期间获得了来自家庭、朋友及社区的支持。她们指出这种社会支持有助于应对直接与间接成本，促进情绪健康，并防止通过削减必要开支来抵消花费的行为（例如可能危及治疗计划的经济权衡）。 结论：易受经济毒性影响的乳腺癌患者群体常依赖家庭、朋友及社区的支持来缓冲治疗成本带来的经济压力。这些数据凸显了社会支持作为未来研究领域的重要性，可为探索减轻经济毒性的策略提供方向。
肿瘤(癌症)患者之家