Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Nursing, Technical, Rehabilitation, Assistance and Research Direction, IRCCS Istituti Fisioterapici Ospitalieri (IFO), 00144 Rome, Italy.
Curr Oncol. 2024 Oct 11;31(10):6085-6095. doi: 10.3390/curroncol31100454.
The economic burden of chronic diseases such as cancer could negatively impact patients' health and quality of life. The daily management of the disease results in economic needs that patients often face directly, which may lead to real toxicity, just defined as financial toxicity. This study aims to explore cancer patients' experiences, emotions, opinions, and feelings related to the phenomenon of financial toxicity. A phenomenological qualitative descriptive study was conducted through face-to-face interviews with adult oncological patients. The sample ( = 20) was predominantly composed of females (with a meanly 58 years old) with breast cancer and in chemotherapy treatment. The most relevant topics that emerged from the patients' experiences were the impact on work, the distance from the treatment centre, the economic efforts, the impact on the quality of life, and the healthcare workers' support during the healthcare pathway. From the phenomenological analysis of the interviews, three main themes and seven related subthemes emerged. This study provided a phenomenological interpretation of financial toxicity in adult cancer patients and underlines that this issue involves families or caregivers, too. Financial problems appear relevant for those who experience cancer and should be included in a routine assessment by healthcare professionals.
癌症等慢性病的经济负担可能会对患者的健康和生活质量产生负面影响。疾病的日常管理导致患者直接面临经济需求，这可能导致真正的毒性，即金融毒性。本研究旨在探讨癌症患者对金融毒性现象的体验、情感、意见和感受。通过对成年肿瘤患者进行面对面访谈，开展了一项现象学定性描述研究。样本（=20）主要由女性（平均年龄 58 岁）组成，患有乳腺癌并正在接受化疗。患者经历中出现的最相关主题包括对工作的影响、远离治疗中心、经济努力、对生活质量的影响以及医疗保健工作者在医疗保健过程中的支持。从访谈的现象学分析中，出现了三个主要主题和七个相关的子主题。本研究对成年癌症患者的金融毒性进行了现象学解释，并强调这一问题也涉及到家庭或照顾者。财务问题对那些经历癌症的人来说很重要，应该被纳入医疗保健专业人员的常规评估中。
