Mumbai: A significant proportion of households with breast cancer patients have had to borrow money or sell assets to cover treatment costs, according to a recent study of patients at a prominent cancer hospital.
The study, which monitored 500 breast cancer patients treated at Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in Mumbai from June 2019 to March 2022, revealed that 84.2% of households experienced catastrophic health expenditure. This financial strain resulted in notable changes to their monthly spending patterns, The Wire reported.
Additionally, the study found that 72% of households resorted to "distress financing," which involved selling assets or borrowing loans to meet the treatment costs.
Researchers at the International Institute of Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, who conducted the study, recommended that direct non-medical costs such as accommodation, food, and travel for patients and their companions should be included in the reimbursement scope for breast cancer treatment. They also suggested establishing more city-specific cancer care centers to alleviate the financial burden.
The study was published on July 23 in the International Journal for Equity and Health.
While around 75% of the patients had some form of reimbursement—ranging from health insurance, employee health schemes, to assistance from charitable trusts—this reduced the incidence of catastrophic health expenditure by only 13.8%.
Moreover, the study found that 78% of patients had to use multiple sources to cover their treatment costs. "Only 5.8% of the patients used income as one of the sources for covering treatment costs, 48.6% used savings, 66.6% resorted to loans and borrowings, and 72.4% either sold assets or borrowed money to finance the cost of treatment," the study reported.
These findings highlight the severe economic impact of breast cancer treatment on patients and their families, underscoring the need for comprehensive financial support mechanisms.